IPL 2019: Three talking points from RCB’s demoralizing defeat against DC

Royal Challengers Bangalore won no trophies in the first 11 seasons of the IPL. This year, they haven’t won any game. Virat Kohli and his men suffered their sixth consecutive loss in the IPL 2019, and this was against a team which was their best bet to get back to the winning ways. Delhi Capitals showed nerves but still managed to overhaul RCB’s total of 149 with seven balls remaining.

At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, RCB were asked to bat first. Virat Kohli, opening the batting, played a sedate knock which ended in the 18th over. The Bengaluru side was short on runs but their bowlers began well. First Prithvi Shaw and later Shreyas Iyer thwarted RCB’s chances. DC wobbled at the end, but it did not impact the final result.

1. Virat Kohli’s dragging innings

RCB batted first and Virat Kohli was on the crease for first 17 overs. In normal circumstances, his score would have been 75(48), but this was different. Here Kohli was batting on 41 from 32 balls. 13 of those were scored in the last three balls. “When two senior batters are there in the team and one gets out, the other one has to take it deep. So that was the whole idea of that (my) innings, “ Virat later explained. Even on a sluggish track, it was a strange knock from World’s best batsman.

2. The big Shaw

RCB lumbered to 149/8 in their 20 overs. They then struck early and sent back Shikhar Dhawan for naught. But after two quiet overs, Prithvi Shaw decided to take matters in his hand. The little batsman put New Zealand’s finest pace bowler in his place with four consecutive boundaries. First two were scored on the leg side while the next two boundaries came via cracking square cuts. Four leg byes and a dot ball rounded the over off with 20 runs coming from it. The expensive over propelled DC closer to the lowly target.

3. Stumbling finish

Shreyas Iyer was dropped on 4 by Parthiv Patel. The Delhi captain went on to add 63 runs from thereon and snatched the game away from RCB. When Iyer was caught by Chahal, DC needed five runs to win from 15 balls. In the next three balls, they lost two more wickets. DC needed another three balls to reach the winning total. They did win with seven balls remaining, but it wasn’t smooth sailing.