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De Kock and Yadav obliterate RCB

cricket02 April 2024 18:00| © MWP
By:CS Chiwanza
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Quinton De Kock © PhotoShelter

Quinton de Kock scored a brilliant half-century and Mayank Yadav registered new career-best T20 bowling figures as they helped the Lucknow Super Giants to a comprehensive 28-run win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Tata Indian Premier League match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Tuesday.

LSG scored 181 for five after being asked to bat first by RCB captain, Faf du Plessis. The hosts stumbled to 153 all out in 19.4 overs in reply.

De Kock scythed five sixes and eight fours on his way to a brilliant 81 off 56 in an outstanding knock.

The South African opener became the eighth overseas player to reach 3 000 IPL runs and his 22nd IPL half-ton took him up a rung to fourth position on the highest run-scorers list this season.

The 31-year-old, who was dropped on 34, was part of two crucial partnerships for LSG.

The first was a 53-run first-wicket stand with KL Rahul and then a fruitful 56-run partnership with Marcus Stoinis.

POORAN POWER

Nicholas Pooran, who played a gem of a knock against the RCB in 2023, was around to land the killer punch again this time around. Pooran made great use of the foundation laid by De Kock by bludgeoning an unbeaten 40 off 21 to lift LSG to 181.

Like De Kock, the West Indian star was also dropped in his innings. He was on two when Glenn Maxwell failed to hold on to a catch and, like De Kock, he made the RCB pay.

He smashed five sixes in the 19th and 20th overs to take LSG's score from a middling total to an imposing one.

KL Rahul (20) and Marcus Stoinis (24) had starts but failed to kick on.

Yadav came into the match with career-best figures of 3-20 in T20 cricket.

He was at his best as he delivered the best bowling figures in the match to finish the match with three wickets for 14 runs in four overs.

His blistering pace and economy of 3.50 runs an over stopped the RCB dead in their tracks. 

ROCKET LAUNCHER

Before Yadav came on to bowl, LSG chose a different track with their Powerplay bowling.

Unlike RCB who opted for pace, they went with spin, which proved to be an inspired option.

Manimaran Siddharth had a decent start with the ball, which resulted in an early wicket.

The 25-year-old spinner varied his pace well and outfoxed the hosts' in-form batter, Kohli.

KL Rahul then deployed his rocket launcher, Mayank Yadav, who did not destabilise the stumps, but the entire RCB innings.

The 21-year-old pacer picked up from where he left off against the Punjab Kings.

Mayank's fastest delivery clocked 157 km/h as he caused mayhem.

He claimed the wickets of the two Australians, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green, in back-to-back overs to send the RCB reeling. Yadav bagged his third wicket in the 15th over to close an outstanding outing.

Mahipal Lomror was the bright spark in RCB's batting effort.

The 24-year-old batter was intent on dragging the RCB across the line, the problem was that he kept losing partners, which cost his team valuable momentum.

His 33 off 13 gave the RCB fans hope until the 18th over when he was dismissed.

Rajat Patidar's 29 was RCB's second-best batter.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Rajit Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik, Anuj Rawat (wk), Reece Topley, Mayank Dagar, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal

LUCKNOW SUPER GIANTS: Quinton de Kock (wk), Devdutt Padikkal, KL Rahul (capt), Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Mayank Yadav, Manimaran Siddharth

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