A comprehensive eight-wicket win for Bangalore and they move to the top of the points table with this all-round performance against Rajasthan Royals. The match was set up by RCB's bowling attack which never allowed the Royals batsmen an inch, save the late cameos from Archer and Tewatia. But a target of 155 was never going to be enough, not with Padikkal being in the form that he is. To make matters worse for Royals, Kohli finally hit the ground running this season with an unbeaten 53-ball 72. That would be all from our side. But hey! It's a double-header today. Head over to our live coverage of DC vs KKR from Sharjah -
FOUR! De Villiers hits the winning runs - a low full toss from Tom Curran has been smashed for four.
Unadkat back into the attack. ABD and Virat collect 4 off the first two balls. Seven runs from the over. RCB just need one run to beat RR. RCB 154/2 after 19 Overs.
Tom Curran is back into the attack. Kohli is in the zone now as he skips down the track to this full ball and drives it away for four. Oozing class is the RCB and Team India skipper. He is eating away into the deficit in a hurry. And another one - this time to third-man. Kohli is looking in good touch now. Make that three from the over as Kohli hits this one to backward square-leg. 16 from it. RCB 147/2 after 18 Overs.
Shreyas Gopal is back into the attack. Both batsmen happy to takes ones and twos and see off Gopal. Seven runs from that over - five singles and a two. RCB 131/2 after 17 Overs. Bangalore needs 24 from three overs.
Archer's final over. Padikkal has hit this 142 kmph short ball for four. Brilliant execution. RCB has a serious talent in Padikkal. Whaaddaplayah! A great knock comes to an end but you'd say he has done his job - Archer cleans him up for 63 . Surely, RCB's not going to bungle the run chase, not Kohli in the middle? Anyway, Kohli and Padikkal's 99-run partnership has effectively put RCB in the box seat. AB de Villiers, right handed bat, comes to the crease. Six from the over. RCB 124/2 after 16 Overs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore needs 48 runs in 36 balls. Tewatia will bowl out. Padikkal takes a single and gives the strike to Kohli, who retains it with a couple off the next ball. Kohli moves to 49 with a six to long-on. He brings up his fifty with a single next ball - his first in IPL 2020. 11 from that over. RCB 118/1 after 15 Overs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore needs 51 runs in 42 balls. Archer is back into the attack. He will have one left after this. Will these two look to attack or play him out? You'd imagine this is Smith's last roll of the dice. Excellent over from Archer - just three off it. RCB 107/1 after 14 Overs.
Riyan Parag, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack. Kohli welcomes the youngster into the attack with a four and a six off successive balls. RCB is romping home. Where has Kohli been hiding all this while? If these are signs of him warming up, opposition bowlers better pull up their socks. 13 from the over. RCB 104/1 after 13 Overs.
Smith turns to Unadkat. Fifty up for the left-hander with a boundary. Just opens the face of the bat at the last minute and helps it past short third-man. Top innings from a highly talented cricketer. This is his third fifty in four matches. Nine runs from the over. RCB 91/1 after 12 Overs. Padikkal is now the first batsman in history of IPL to score three fifties in first four matches.
Rahul Tewatia continues. RR need to manufacture a dismissal from somewhere because at the moment, RCB is doing it nice and easy. Three singles and a two fro that over. More importantly from RCB's point of view, no wicket. RCB 82/1 after 11 Overs. Royal Challengers Bangalore needs 73 runs in 54 balls.
Shreyas Gopal is back into the attack. Royals need to break this stand. Padikkal has looked completely at ease in the middle. Both batsmen keep the scoreboard ticking with ones and twos , well, with Virat at the crease, running between the wickets is ought to be a feature of this partnership. Meanwhile, the 50-run stand comes up between the two. Six from the over. RCB 77/1 after 10 Overs.
Tewatia into his second over. SHOT! Kohli finding his mojo again - those wristy flicks make an appearance as the right-hander just swats this through square leg for his third boundary. Seven runs from the over. RCB 71/1 after 9 Overs.
And we are back. Tom Curran to resume proceedings. Padikkal takes a single and gets off strike. Was a good over with just five coming off the first five until Kohli put a dent to it with a boundary off the last ball. He has Lonror to thank for it whose sloppy work has cost his team four runs. Nine from it. RCB 64/1 after 8 Overs.
Time out has been taken. Royal Challengers Bangalore needs 100 runs in 78 balls.
Rahul Tewatia, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack. Can he conjure up some magic with the ball? It's a good start from Tewatia - a brace and three singles from it. Five from the over. RCB 55/1 after 7 Overs.
Tom Curran, right-arm fast medium, comes into the attack. Padikkal is in some form this season - collects a couple off Curran before despatching a short ball past short fine leg for four. Quite a find this kid. Make that two in one over - this time through sweeper cover. Padikkal letting the Royals know who's in charge. The RCB 50 comes up with a single off the last ball. 11 from that over. RCB 50/1 after 6 Overs.
Shreyas to continue. He has had the wood over Kohli. Can he get him again today? He has dismissed the RCB skipper on three occassions. FOUR! Kohli has scored his first boundary of this season - no, we are not joking - courtesy a gift from Shreyas. A long hop and Virat doesn't miss out on those. Pulls it away for four. Seven from that over. RCB 39/1 after 5 Overs.
Archer is back into the attack. A dot ball to Padikkal to start his second spell. Follows it up with a poor ball - on Paddikal's pads and the youngster just helps himself to four runs there. Kohli vs Archer should be an exciting contest. Smith knows it. Kohli knows it. Archer knows it. Who will come out on top - for now, Archer hurls two pacy deliveries at Kohli to end the over. Five from it. RCB 32/1 after 4 Overs.
Shreyas Gopal, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack. Two Karnataka lads facing each other. Padikkal works the first ball to mid-wicket for a single. Finch picks up the googly, too short from Gopal and the Aussie limited-overs skipper has clobbered it past square-leg for four. There has been a review. The batsman in question - Finch. It's for a lbw. Finch went for the sweep and was hit on the pads. GONE! Decision overturned. Royals have an early wicket. Virat Kohli comes to the crease. He would like to anchor this chase and get some runs under his belt. Seven runs and a wicket. RCB 27/1 after 3 Overs.
Jaydev Unadkat, left-arm fast medium, has been introduced into the attack. Padikkal greets him with a humongous six. Jeez, this guy can bat! That was a such a delightfully powerful shot - Unadkat errs in line and pays the price. And again - this time, a four to deep mid-wicket. RCB's chase is up and running. 15 runs from that over. RCB 20/0 after 2 Overs.
Padikkal on strike. Archer to bowl the first over. Padikkal opens the account with a single to cover. Archer will be absolutely crucial to RR's chances today. Three successive dots to Finch. Good start. Another dot ball later, Finch carves one to sweeper cover to get off the mark in style. RCB 5/0 after 1 Over.
Welcome back for the run chase. It is not a herculean total but Royals can make it look like one with some disciplined bowling and early breakthroughs. Will be tough against a batting line-up like RCB's. Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch will open the innings.
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Last 5 overs, RR clobbered 55 for the loss of two wickets. RCB began well with the ball, Mahipal Lomror revived a dwindling first innings with a 39-ball 47 but it was Rahul Tewatia, whose power-hitting came to the fore and carried Rajasthan over 150. He was well supported by Jofra Archer. That said, Kohli would be happy with the target. We will be back with the chase soon.
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Saini to bowl the 20th. Oh dear, Saini has bowled a no-ball. Nasty one from Saini and Tewatia has been floored. A high full toss gone wrong ... He is in considerable pain. He is fine, is Tewatia. SIX ! Tewatia has made the most of this free hit. A monstrous strike over deep square-leg. SIX! Tewatia doing a Tewatia! 150 up for RR as Tewatia dismisses this full toss over deep square for six more. Last ball of the innings is a dot. 15 off the final over. RR finish on 154/6.
Udana to bowl the 19th over. Can RR get to 150? Tewatia collects a single off the first ball. Dot ball. 10 more left in the innings. That's more like it - SIX for Archer. He's quite the player, not just with the ball but with the bat as well. The Englishman hammered that short delivery over deep mid-wicket for a six. Collects a brace off the next ball. RCB, having done so well for the first 14 overs, have let the advantage slip, a little. 10 runs from the over. Udana made a mess of a simple run out chance ... Tewatia could've been on his way back. Anyway, RR 139/6 after 19 Overs.
So Saini will bowl overs 18 and 20. Here we go. He has particularly good at the death. Jinxed him, did I? Tewatia welcomes Saini in trademark Tewatia fashion - with a six over deep square-leg. Archer ends the over with a boundary to fine-leg. Expensive from Saini, 13 off it. RR 129/6 after 18 Overs.
Chahal to bowl out. Lomror welcomes him with a maximum over deep mid-wicket. Lovely knock from the left-hander so far. Chahal has the last laugh! Lomror departs for a well-made 47. Jofra Archer, right handed bat, comes to the crease. 10 runs and a wicket from that over. RR 116/6 after 17 Overs. Chahal: 4-0-24-3.
Isuru Udana is back into the attack. He would want to make amends for an expensive first spell. And he does... Gets Riyan Parag out caught as Royals sink further. Rahul Tewatia, left handed bat, comes to the crease. Seven from that over. RR 106/5 after 16 Overs.
Last six left. Saini and Chahal might bowl overs 16-20 between them. Will RCB throw the ball to Zampa for the 15th? "Why aren't RR going for it?" chimes in my colleague. "They've Archer, Curran and Tewatia left," he adds. Royals, you listening? All right then, Chahal will bowl the 15th. SIX! That's the first aggressive shot played off Chahal's bowling today and it has gone for a maximum: Lomror has clubbed this over long-on for six. 10 off that over. RR 99/4 after 15 Overs.
Sundar will bowl out. He has gone for 16 from his three overs so far. Royals desperately need a 20-run over from somewhere. One alone won't suffice. They need a couple of those and given RCB's death bowling options at the moment, RR's task just got tougher. Excellent finish from Sundar - Just four singles. His figures: 4-0-20-0. RR 89/4 after 14 Overs.
Adam Zampa is back into the attack. Kohli is spoilt for choices as far as bowling is concerned. Saini and Chahal each have two overs left. Expect the duo to wrap up overs from 16-20. In the meantime, Parag has finally got one away for four. Zampa tosses it up on middle stump and the youngsters drives it down the ground for a boundary. Eight from the over. RR 85/4 after 13 Overs.
Shivam Dube, right-arm medium fast, comes into the attack. If Royals are to get to a competitive score, this pair needs to show some chutzpah. Good start fro Dube - only four coming off it in the end. RR 77/4 after 12 Overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal is back into the attack. And he strikes again ! Wicket off the first ball off his first over... and now, strikes with the first ball off his second. Uthappa holes out to long-off . Royals in shambles. Riyan Parag, right handed bat, comes to the crease. Chahal has been in sizzling form so far - another economical over, just three runs and a wicket. Chahal so far - 2-0-5-2. RR 73/4 after 11 Overs.
Navdeep Saini is back into the attack. Virat on the prowl for wickets. Lomror decides to take on Saini and collects four. Nine runs from that over. RR 70/3 after 10 Overs.
Adam Zampa, right-arm leg spinner, to continue. Whoa. SIX! That should settle some nerves for Lomror - right in the slot from Zampa and Lomror slog sweeps this over deep mid-wicket for six. Much needed big hit for Rajasthan. Strategic time out has been taken with the players still searching for the ball. Downside of playing in empty stadiums. Good comeback from Zampa. Just four off the next four balls. RR 61/3 after 9 Overs.
Sundar into his third over now. How long before Uthappa or Lomror or both decide to counterattack. Just four singles from that over. Royals feeling the heat, literally and metaphorically. Uthappa brought up the team 50 with a single off the last ball. RR 50/3 after 8 Overs.
Adam Zampa, right-arm leg spinner, comes into the attack. Uthappa collects a single with a premeditated paddle sweep. Good start by the Aussieman. Tricky little phase for Royals. Lomror and Uthappa have to carry out the repair work but they can't afford to let RCB dictate terms for long. It was turning out to be a good over until that boundary to long-on by Uthappa off the last ball. Full marks to Gurkeerat, who put in a full-length dive but couldn't stop the boundary. Eight from it. RR 46/3 after 7 Overs.
Washington Sundar [1.0-0-7-0] to round off the Powerplay. RCB's bowling has been on the money. In previous seasons, they somehow lacked the bite to challenge the opposition line-up - not this year. Saini's pace and Sundar's PP abilities have added a zing to it. Not to forget the wily Chahal. Anyway, just three singles and a brace off that Washy over. RR 38/3 after 6 Overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal, right-arm leg break, comes into the attack. Yuzi Chahal strikes! Whoa. What's happening, RR? Another first ball wicket, this time the victim is the in-form Samson . RCB on fire here. This is an aggressive move from Virat. He knows RRs top-order is the real threat, well, he has now got rid of the three dangerous men. Mahipal Lomror, left handed bat, comes to the crease. Playing his first match of the season and walks out with his team reeling. Just two runs and a wicket from that over. RR 33/3 after 5 Overs.
Navdeep Saini, right-arm pacer, into the attack. GONE ! Saini, you beauty. He gets the big fish straightaway: Buttler has to depart . He is out caught for 22. What a start this for RCB. Buttler was undone by Saini's raw pace there - these are good times for Indian cricket. Indian fast bowlers rattling world class batters with speed. Meanwhile, Robin Uthappa, right handed bat, comes to the crease. A wicket maiden in the Powerplay. Props to Saini. RR 31/2 after 4 Overs.
Udana to continue. SIX! Buttler picks the shorter length and short-arm jabs it for a maximum! What a strike. Udana isn't learning from his mistakes. Bowls a half-tracker now and at that pace, it;s only going one way - to the fence. Buttler collects 10 off the first two. GONE! That should repair the damage. Udana has clean bowled Smith. The Aussie right-hander attempting to play the cut shot ends up chopping on. Samson joins Buttler. BOOM! That's the start of an in-form batsman - a half-volley from Udana, a gift really, and Samson accepts it gleefully and drives it away for four. 15 runs and a wicket from that over. RR 31/1 after 3 Overs.
Washington Sundar, right-arm off-spinner, into the attack. Buttler's in the mood today - this one races away to fine leg. Third boundary of RR's innings. Good comeback from the TN youngster. Just three runs off the next four balls. RR 16/0 after 2 Overs.
Isuru Udana to take the new ball. Buttler and Smith open the innings. Buttler is on strike. Eventful start already. Buttler gets an edge first ball but it doesn't carry to slip. Udana strays in line next ball - goes short and on the pads; Buttler tucks it away past short fine leg for four. Steve Smith, now, opens his account with a boundary. The Sri Lankan once again strays on the pads and these are easy pickings for Smith. Poor start from Udana. Nine from that over. RR 9/0 after 1 Over.
TOSS UPDATE: Steve Smith wins the toss and Rajasthan will bat first.
CAPTAINS SPEAK:
Steve Smith: "We'll bat first. It's a day game, pretty warm out here, so we want to bat first and set a target. We got one change, Lomror comes in for Ankit (Rajpoot). It's a long tournament, you are going to win games, lose games. Hopefully, we'll put on a good show today. Ben (Stokes) is a quality player, adds to our squad once he's arrives."
Virat Kohli: " We are playing with the same XI. We wanted to bat first as it's a day game, better to get into the game in the first six overs of the match. Getting a strong squad together, it's good to see the youngsters doing the job for us. Chahal's always a banker and AB does what he is good at doing."
PITCH REPORT: It is the first day game in IPL 2020. "It's 37 degrees out here but feels like 41. But there's a slight breeze that might put the players at ease," reckons Daren Ganga. It's the first day game of the season, and it's going to be a used pitch. Still looks good, there might be some help for the bowlers according to the experts.
The arrival of Ben Stokes should help Rajasthan shore up its shaky middle-order. He will, in all likelihood, replace Tom Curran in the XI. Bangalore, on the other hand, have blown hot and cold. There have been moments when they've been spectacular and then, there have been phases where the slip-ups have been a reminder of past mistakes. Virat Kohli's poor form will be a big concern for RCB. But being the champion that Kohli is, a good knock is perhaps just around the corner. Toss in 20 minutes.
BUILD-UP
Some good news for RR fans : England international Ben Stokes will be joining the Rajasthan Royals squad in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday. However, he will have to be under six-day quarantine and will be available only after October 10 - READ
It is a double-header in the IPL today. Delhi will take on Kolkata in Sharjah at 7:30 PM. Here's the preview - READ
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), buoyed by notching up two wins in three matches thus far, enters the field against Rajasthan Royals (RR) full of confidence - READ
This edition of the IPL is a new challenge for Anuja Dalvi. The 34-year-old is the sole female physio in the tournament, and is working with Rajasthan Royals - READ
Rajasthan and Bangalore have faced each other 20 times in the IPL so far, and RR holds a 10-8 head-to-head win/loss record over RCB, with two games washed out - READ
ALSO | WATCH THIS WEEK'S IPL SPECIAL EPISODE FEAT. KAMRAN AKMAL
Squads:
Rajasthan Royals : Steven Smith, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ben Stokes, David Miller, Manan Vohra, Riyan Parag, Robin Uthappa, Shashank Singh, Mahipal Lomror, Shreyas Gopal, Tom Curran, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Akash Singh, Andrew Tye, Aniruddha Joshi, Ankit Rajpoot, Jaydev Unadkat, Jofra Archer, Kartik Tyagi, Mayank Markande, Oshane Thomas, Rahul Tewatia, Varun Aaron.
Royal Challengers Bangalore : Virat Kohli, Parthiv Patel, AB de Villiers, Chris Morris, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shivam Dubey, Aaron Finch, Umesh Yadav, Adam Zampa, Washington Sundar, Navdeep Saini, Mohammed Siraj, Dale Steyn, Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Gurkeerat M
Umpires: Chris Gaffaney, S Ravi, Paschim Pathak, Ulhas Gandhe
Referee: Manu Nayar
WHERE TO WATCH IPL 2020 - ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE VS RAJASTHAN ROYALS LIVE?
The Indian Premier League match will be broadcast live on
the
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Hello and welcome to Sportstar's live coverage of the IPL 2020 match between Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore and Steve Smith's Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi.
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