Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 18 runs with skipper Faf du Plessis’ breezy 96 off 64 balls and Josh Hazlewood’s two early wickets. With this win, RCB are now second in the points table while LSG has slumped to fourth.
The 37-year-old du Plessis roared back to form after a string of low scores with a 64-ball knock to help RCB post 181 for six after being sent into bat. du Plessis hit 11 boundaries and two sixes, playing shots all around the DY Patil Stadium.
Opening the innings, du Plessis, who failed to put up a big score since his sensational 88 in RCB’s first game of the season, anchored the innings to perfection and got out only on the penultimate ball of the final over.
Hazlewood rocked LSG’s chase early on as he bowled a fine opening spell. Using the bounce and movement on offer, he accounted for the dangerous Quinton de Kock (3) and Manish Pandey (6) in quick time.
While Krunal Pandya (42) was scoring runs at a good rate, he looked uncomfortable against Glenn Maxwell, and eventually fell to the Australian.
LSG weren’t able to string substantial partnerships together. Deepak Hooda (13), Stoinis (24) and Ayush Badoni (13) seemed to have wasted their starts.
Harshal Patel (2/47) picked up two wickets while Mohammed Siraj (1/31) and Maxwell (1/11) accounted for a batter each.
The Super Giants invited RCB to bat and the bowlers managed to strike at regular intervals but had no answers for the former South African captain.
Sri Lankan right-arm pacer Dushmantha Chameer (2/31 off 3) bowled a fruitful first over for LSG, snaring the wickets of opener Anuj Rawat (4) and Virat Kohli (0), whose struggles with the bat continued as he got out for a first-ball duck.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 181/6 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 96; Dushmantha Chameera 2/31, Jason Holder 2/25).
Lucknow Super Giants: 163/8 in 20 overs (Krunal Pandya 42; Josh Hazlewood 4/25).
