Hello All,
Welcome to Match 39 of IPL 2020 it’s KKR vs RCB. KKR come in with a win against SRH in the super over which would give them some confidence after the situation from which they were able to recover, while RCB all thanks to AB’s Master class were able to pull off a stunning win against RR. A battle between 4th and 3rd place teams as of current standings. KKR would be looking for a win to tie in points with RCB while RCB would look to gain 4 point gap against KKR to make life easier for qualification. Both teams would look forward to maintaining the winning momentum.
It’s toss time here at Abu Dhabi, the KKR captain calls it right and they have decided to bat first. KKR have made two changes to their team- Tom Banton and Prasidh come in place of Russell and Mavi. RCB have made a change bringing in Siraj in place of Shahbaz Ahmed.
IPL 2020: Match 39. KKR vs RCB.
Live from- Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Time- 7:30 IST
Broadcast- Star Sports Network (1 English) and (3 Hindi) and Disney+hotstar for online streaming.
Umpires- Virender Sharma & Sundaram Ravi
3rd umpire- Chris Gaffaney
Match official- Shakti Singh
Teams:
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers (wk), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Washington Sundar, Chris Morris, Isuru Udana, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): Shubman Gill, Tom Banton, Nitish Rana, Eoin Morgan (c), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Pat Cummins, Lockie Ferguson, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Varun Chakravarthy.
Shubman Gill and Tripathi to open the innings for KKR. Chris Morris will open the attack for RCB. Morris starts with a dot, a wide down leg, the next Gill takes a single. A dot and single and two dots to end the first. Lots of moment for Morris there. KKR are 3/0 after 1. After a short discussion, Siraj is handed the ball to partner Morris. Starts off with two dots and gets the outside edge of Tripathi on the third. Bowls an outswinger and Tripathi needing the feel off the ball just manages an outside edge and AB takes a tumbling catch and RCB on their way. Rana walks in at 3.
Siraj to Rana and he has cleaned him up the first ball. Two in Two for Siraj. Great start for him and RCB. Rana plays with a straight bat but does not judge the in-swinging delivery, that’s enough to create a gap between bat and pad and it goes through to shatter the off stump. Two dots to end the over. A double-wicket maiden for Siraj. RCB on top here as KKR are 3/2 after 2. Saini is introduced in the attack. Starts with a dot. Gill pulls the second ball but only manages a top edge and it’s taken by Morris at mid-on. Three down now KKR.
Loose shot this from Gill here. Tries to be aggressive and pays the price. RCB don’t bother, it’s another wicket for them. Dinesh Karthik comes in at 5. Saini to Tom and he plays a beautiful straight drive to start his innings. After getting beaten, Tom gets one in his arc and a maximum through deep square leg. A good shot from the young man. KKR are 13/3 after 3. Siraj to continue, Karthik takes a leg bye a dot ball later Tom edges one and AB gulps it. Another wicket for Siraj here, excellent bowling this. Similar line and length that got Tripathi and Tom tries to drive one gets an outside edge.
Morgan walks in to bat. Siraj bowls another maiden over. This time a wicket maiden. Sensational bowling this from RCB. KKR reeling at 14/4. Morris is back in the attack. Starts off with a dot. A huge appeal in the second for LBW, the umpire is not interested, they sneak in a leg bye. RCB take the review. Relays show just clipping the stumps so umpire call stays. RCB retain the review. 4 dots to end the over, another maiden from RCB. KKR are 15/4 after 5. Siraj to continue and Karthik finally takes a single off the bat due to a slight misfield at mid-on. 4 dots in Morgan takes a single and opens his account after 11 balls. A dot to end the powerplay.
RCB are cruising here. KKR have lots of problem at hand, they are 17/4 after 6. This pair would hold the key if KKR are to get to a decent total. Stats says that Siraj has become the first bowler in IPL history to bowl two maiden overs. He also now holds the record for maximum balls bowled before being scored- 13th ball. Also, the lowest Power Play score this IPL 2020.
Udana comes into the attack and starts off with two singles, Morgan then gets one to free his arms and hits it through extra cover for a boundary. Three dots to end the over. KKR are 23/1 after 7. Saini to continue, bowls 4 dots to begin with and then Karthik takes a single. Bowls a bouncer to Morgan to which he pulls handsomely over deep square leg for a maximum. KKR are 30/4 after 8. Chahal is brought in the attack, a dot and two singles later he gets the ex-captain going. 5th wicket down now KKR. Chahal bowls the googly, Karthik misses gets struck on the pads. Umpire does not give it.
Kohli takes the review in the last second and they go upstairs. The HawkEye shows three reds and Karthik has to depart. Excellent review this from RCB. Ball tracking showed it was hitting leg and Chahal gets his first off the night. Cummins walks in and Time for a strategic Time-Out in KKR vs RCB encounter. 32/5 shows RCB are all over KKR. Siraj bowled the best spell of his life there. The pressure was maintained from the other end as well. KKR batsman had no clue to the moment from Siraj. The nightmares for 49 all-out this time faced by KKR.
Chahal resumes and starts off with a googly, another appeal and Umpire gives it this time and Cummins reviews. We see that the ball was missing the wickets. Decision reversed. That’s 2 in 2 decisions reversed for Ravi. A single to end an eventful over. KKR are 33/5 after 9. Spin from both ends as Sundar is brought back. As usual bowls another tidy over just 3 from it and KKR are 36/5 after 10.
Chahal to continues and other tidy over this just 3 coming from it. Sundar to continue, a dot and a big shout for LBW, umpire remains unmoved and Sundar is adamant and Kohli takes the review. Missed the bad and ball tracking shows just kissing the leg-stump. Review retained by RCB. Another maiden bowled that’s the fourth one off the innings. KKR are 39/5 after 12. Chahal to continue, Morgan takes a single, a dot ball later Cummins is sucked into the trap there. Full and wide turning away from the batsman and Cummins goes for the loft but only manages to hit it straight to the hands-off Dev at long-off. Classic Chahal wicket that.
KKR is in complete disarray. Morgan holding steady from one end but wickets crumbling around him. Kuldeep walks in to bat. Sundar to bowl his third, 5 singles from it. KKR are 46/6 after 14. Saini to continue and Morgan takes a single, 3 dots later Kuldeep takes a single. The last ball Morgan is able to get hold of one and pulls it for a boundary. 50 up for KKR in the 15th over. KKR are 52/6 after 15. Another stat alert- Most overs taken by any team in IPL history to reach 50 runs.
Strategic Time-Out 2 in KKR vs RCB. KKR would hope Morgan stays till the end and the tail wags to somehow manage to get them over 100 while RCB would like to restrict them to as low as possible by taking the remaining wickets. Sundar to bowl his final, Kuldeep takes a single, Morgan then gets to sweep one- excellent placement to get a boundary. The next ball he perishes! Looking to go big on the leg-side with shorter boundaries had the length but manages to hit the toe end of the bat and a simple catch to Gurkeerat in the deep. Morgan departs for 30. KKR are 57/7. A single to finish off the over. His performance reads, 1/14 with a maiden.
Chahal to bowl his final, First ball he gets the edge off Ferguson but it flies between the gap of AB and Virat at 1st slip for a boundary. Ferguson had no clue was also squared up some luck there not to hand it to AB or Kohli. A double and a single off the remaining deliveries. Chahal ends with 2/15. Morris is back in the attack and gives just 3 singles from it. KKR are 68/7 after 18. Siraj to bowl his final. 4 singles off the first 4. Ferguson takes a single and a huge shout for LBW and RCB take a review. UltraEdge shows a spike of the bat hitting the ball. Review lost. 6 singles from it. Siraj finishes with 3/8 with 2 maidens.
Final over to be bowled by Morris, Kuldeep makes some room and gets a boundary through mid-wicket. A single and two doubles later a dot. Final ball- Morris to Ferguson, he hits it to mid-wicket calls for two, Gurkeerat in the deep collects it and a flat throw at the non strikers end sees Morris collect and whips the bails off and Kuldeep is just short off the crease. Another wicket for RCB. KKR end with 84/8 from 20 overs. Stat alert: Lowest score by a team playing 20 overs in IPL history this.
Ohh RCB are certainly getting the revenge for the 49 all-out against KKR in 2017. Siraj was at his peak performance tonight. He was supported well by the RCB bowlers from the other end. A dream start, getting 3 wickets for 0 runs off his first 2 overs. DK and Morgan tried to build a partnership but Chahal had others plans by getting DK again this season. Some runs from Morgan and then Kuldeep and Ferguson managed to get KKR 80+ on the board. Should be an easy chase for RCB unless KKR pulls a rabbit out of the hats. Ferguson and Cummins would hold the key for them. Meanwhile, RCB would be hoping not to fall victim to a small target.
Devdutt Padikkal and Finch are out in the middle for RCB. Cummins will open the attack for KKR. The first ball, in the good area and Dev lets it go. Takes a single off the next. Finch comes down the track and gets a couple. A single of the next and two dots to end the over. RCB are 4/0 after 1. Prasidh is introduced for the other end. A dot to start and Finch is using his feet to negate the swing. A wide down leg the next ball. Two singles later a huge appeal for LBW and Caught behind but KKR don’t review. Relays show that ball-tracking would be umpires call and no edge. Single to end the over.
RCB are 8/0 after 2. Cummins resumes, starts with a wide. Finch later takes a single. Dev gets a ball in his arc, frees his arms and plays to long-off for a boundary. A single of the next. RCB are 15/0 after 3. Prasidh to continue, two singles off the first three. Dev then slices over mid-off for a boundary. The next ball tries again gets the height but not much distance they manage to get 3 runs through long-off. Last ball and Finch gets a boundary through fine-leg. 13 runs from it and RCB are 28/0 after 4.
Cummins to resume starts with a couple of twos and a single. Bowls to beautiful short ones to Finch and then last ball bowls a freebie and Finch accepts it- On the pads and a boundary over square leg. RCB are 37/0 after 5. Varun Chakravarthy is introduced in the attack, Two singles from 2 balls. Dev then cuts one fine for another boundary. Some fine form he is in Dev. A single of the next and two dots to end the powerplay. RCB are 44/0.
Lockie Ferguson is introduced in the attack, Dev takes a single. A wide of the next and then he gets Finch out caught behind. KKR should have brought in earlier. Gets the result for KKR in just his 2nd ball. Short, wide and bowled with Pace, Finch stayed in his crease tries to punch it but gets an outside edge and DK makes no mistake. Gurkeerat is promoted to 3 possibly to give him some batting practice out in the middle. A dot and then a huge mix-up and RCB lose their second. Dev has to depart.
Gurkeerat plays the ball to the fielder, never a single there, Dev runs and both batsmen are at strikers end. Simple run-out at the bowler’s end. Wasted a wicket there RCB. Two dots to end the over. RCB are 46/2 after 7.
Chakravarthy to continue bowls an excellent over just 2 from it. Ferguson resumes, 3 dots and then Gurkeerat leans forward and drives it through the covers for a boundary. Some shot that. Two singles to finish the over. RCB are 54/2 after 9. It’s time for a Strategic time-out between KKR vs RCB. RCB cruising here just 31 needed with 11 overs left. A good way to improve their NRR. KKR certainly missed a trick by not bowling Ferguson at the start.
Chakravarthy to continue starts off with a full-toss which Kohli misses. The next ball he steps back and times it through backward point for a boundary. Takes a single off the next. Now Gurkeerat dances down the track and lofts one over covers for a boundary. A dot to end the 10th and RCB are 63/2. Ferguson resumes and RCB plays him cautiously just 4 singles off it. Chakravarthy to bowl his final starts with a couple of dots and then he helps himself with back to back boundaries via a cut and a sweep shot. Two singles to end the over and RCB are 77/2 after 12.
Ferguson to bowl his final Kohli takes him on with a hoick over mid-wicket for another boundary. A single off the next ball. Just 3 needed now for a win. Gurkeerat plays out the over. Prasidh comes back in the attack, Kohli takes a double and then a dot. The third ball places it wide off the keeper and takes a double when only a single was needed. Though the second run would not count. Big win this for RCB by 8 wickets in the end.
Awards:
Mohammed Siraj – Dream11 game-changer of the match.
Devdutt Padikkal – Altroz super striker of the match.
Eoin Morgan- Unacademy – Let’s crack it.
Mohammed Siraj – Cred power player of the match.
Mohammed Siraj– Man of the Match.
After being told to bowl first, RCB made early inroads in the KKR batting line-up. A ruthless bowling performance from its bowling unit tonight. KKR were left wanting for more. Siraj bowling in the test match lengths got the breakthrough for RCB with help of some seam and swing. All the bowlers- Chahal, Morris, Sundar and Saini kept the pressure on from the other end as well. In the end, KKR had a below-par score to defend.
RCB had another great opening stand though they would have liked their openers to finish the game off for them. Both got out in the same over from Ferguson. Gurkeerat got the opportunity to bat higher up today and played a decent inning with the captain at the other end seeing through the game with no more hiccups. In the end, A big and a comfortable win for RCB also getting the 2 points. Let’s take a look in the standings. For more IPL content click here.
Watch the Match Highlights of KKR vs RCB here-
Stay tuned for Chapter 13 coming up next. Till then Happy Reading! Ciao.
Vivek Nair
