Picture Credit: BCCI/IPL
Royal Challengers Bangalore registered a comprehensive win against Gujarat Titans by 8 wickets at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday evening. Virat Kohli stepped when Bangalore needed him the most, and the former skipper guided his franchise to the most crucial win in the easiest way possible.
The former RCB captain smashed 73 off 54 balls as RCB chased down a stiff 169-run target set by Gujarat Titans (GT) in 18.4 overs and kept themselves alive in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs race. Earlier, Gujarat posted 168/5 in 20 overs due to a steady knock from Wirddhiman Saha (31 off 22), Hardik Pandya (62 off 47), and David Miller (34 off 25).
Bangalore bowlers were pretty impressive in the first innings as they kept Gujarat batters restricted from hitting boundaries, but Rashid Khan (19 off 6) and Hardik Pandya steered the innings towards the end and put up a competitive total on board. Josh Hazlewood picked two wickets, while Maxwell and W Hasaranga returned with a single wicket each.
In response, Kohli and Faf stitched a 115-run stand for the first wicket, the highest first-wicket partnership for Bangalore in the ongoing season, to ensure a comprehensive win in the game. However, Rashid Khan dismissed both the batters in the death overs, but Glenn Maxwell's blitz knock of 40 runs in 18 balls helped Bangalore win the game by 8 wickets. Let's look at the points table after match number 67 in IPL 2022.
Changes in the points table
The tug of war between Bangalore and Delhi Capitals for the fourth position in the table continues as after winning the game against Gujarat, the former has replaced the latter. Royal Challengers Bangalore have eight wins in 14 games, and now they have secured the fourth position; meanwhile, mighty Gujarat is well placed at the top of the points table with ten wins in 14 games. Now, Bangalore will hope Mumbai Indians will defeat Delhi Capitals with a considerable margin to qualify for the playoffs.
What did that captains say?
Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis confessed that he counts on Rohit Sharma and Co. to 'come good' and beat Delhi Capitals in the next game. Du Plessis also admitted that his side is in such a crucial position because of a few inconsistent performances in the middle of the season.
However, the skipper lauded Virat Kohli for playing a superb knock and shared that he spends a lot of time on nets and carries a lot of emotions. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya accepted that the game didn't pan out as expected, but his side will bounce back more potent in the playoffs.
Today's matchup
Rajasthan Royals will register a comprehensive win against Chennai Super Kings to replace Lucknow from the second position in the points table. Although the Royals will have similar 18 points after winning the game, a win with a considerable margin will improve their net run rate, which will play a crucial role. The match between Rajasthan and Chennai will be at Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.