IPL 7, RCB vs DD: Yuvraj Singh's fireworks help Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Daredevils by 16 runs
Star batsman Yuvraj Singh smashed a magnificient 68 not out in a stunning six-hitting exhibition to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 16-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in an IPL match in Bangalore on Wednesday.
The in-form Yuvraj, who had scored a brilliant 83 of just 38 balls against Rajasthan Royals in his side's last game here, set the Chinnaswamy Stadium on fire as he hit nine sixes and a four off just 29 balls to single-handedly take his side to a formidable 186 for four after being put into bat.
Chasing a stiff 187 for a win, Delhi were restricted to 170 for seven in 20 overs to lose the match which started 70 minutes behind schedule due to light drizzle.
With today's win, Bangalore jumped to sixth spot with eight points from 10 matches while Delhi languished at the bottom with four points from 10 matches as they now face an uphill task to qualify for the play-offs.
Coming out to bat at the 13th over at team total of 94/3, Yuvraj struck sixes almost at will towards the end of the innings after a slow start by his side. This was his third fifty-plus knock in 10 matches in IPL-7 as he signalled his return to his vintage form of the old after recent failures.
Delhi began their chase in the worst possible fashion as they lost both their openers Murali Vijay (1) and Quinton de Kock (6) inside the second over at team total of 10 for two.
Captain Kevin Pietersen (33) and Mayank Agarwal (31) briefly kept Delhi in the game with a 63-run stand for the third wicket from 7.2 overs before the latter was out. The match was as good as over when Pietersen was out in the 12th over off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal as Delhi were reduced to 97 for four, needing 90 runs from eight overs.
Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Daredevils by 16 runs in their IPL match in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Brief Scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: 186 for 4 in 20 overs (Yuvraj Singh 68 not out, AB de Villiers 33).
Delhi Daredevils: 170 for 7 in 20 overs (JP Duminy 48; Muttiah Muralitharan 2/25, Mitchell Starc 2/26
2.0 over: Mitchell Starc claims Quinton de Kock, second blow for RCB
0.4 over: Muralitharan delivers the first jolt to Delhi. Murali Vijay is the victim LBW.
Murali Vijay and Quinton de Kock on crease to open Delhi's charge. Muttiah Muralitharan will lead Bangalore's bowling attack.
After a steady start, Yuvraj Singh gave the muhc-needed ammunition to the Bangalore's innings against Delhi. Yuvraj's 68 off 29 powered to a challenging total.
14.2 over: Siddharth Kaul to AB de Villiers...and it's out... Kaul has delivered a major blow to RCB. AB de Villiers (33 off 17) walking back.
12.3 over: Parthiv Patel (29 off 28 balls) caught by Karthik. RCB lose three.
8.1 over: RCB lose its second wicket as Virat Kohli, who is returning back to pavilion after adding just 10 runs to the scorecard.
Skipper Virat Kohli has come in to bat at number two after Gayle's departure.
5.3 over: That's the end of Gayle's short stint on the pitch. He has been bowled out by Rahul Shukla. RCB 33/1
2.3 over: Another six by Chris Gayle
2.0 over: Last ball of Shami's over and Gayle slams it for a big one..its a six...RCB 9/0
RCB openers Parthiv Patel and Chris Gayle in field. JP Duminy starts Daredevils' attack
Delhi have brought in Murali Vijay in place of Laxmi Ratan Shukla. Three changes in RCB team; Muralitharan in for Albie, Sachin Raina for Varun Aaron and Abu Nechim for Ashok Dinda.
Toss: Delhi elect to field first
Team Profiles:
The 2009 runners-up, Royal Challengers Bangalore(RCB), despite being one of the most successful and consistent teams in the IPL, are yet to add silverware to their trophy cabinet. Coached by New Zealand stalwart Daniel Vettori alongside bowling coach Allan Donald, the team in red is led by India's future captain Virat Kohli.
Royal Challengers Bangalore went all out on pace at the IPL 2014 auction, securing the services of star Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh for a whopping Rs 14 crore and making him the most expensive player in the IPL this season.
The Bangalore team is armed with some of the best strikers of the ball in T20 cricket with the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and now Yuvraj Singh. The team will be counting on Parthiv Patel, Nic Maddinson, Vijay Zol and Albie Morkel for further support in their batting.
The bowling department of RCB will be strengthened by the arrival of Mitchell Starc, Varun Aaron and Albie Morkel while Muttiah Muralitharan and Shadab Jakati will boost their spin bowling. Ashok Dinda, Ravi Rampaul and Sandeep Warrier will also provide the necessary support in the bowling department.
After adding the explosive Yuvraj Singh to their already threatening batting lineup, Royal Challengers Bangalore will definitely give their rivals a run for their money in the tournament this year.
Five key players from Royal Challengers Bangalore:
Chris Gayle: Arguably the most devastating contemporary batsman, Gayle is the first player to score a century in international Twenty20 cricket; the only man to score seven or more tons in the Twenty20 format; and is the leading six-hitter in Twenty20s. With 2,512 runs and 16 wickets in 59 games in his IPL career so far, Gayle has been the backbone of RCB's batting. The left-hander has been the top-scorer in IPL for two consecutive years(2011 and 2012) and was on second spot behind Mike Hussey with 708 runs in 16 games last season.
Virat Kohli: The Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper, Virat Kohli, is one of the finest batsmen in the world today. The 25-year-old is the quintessential new-age cricketer who plays his game aggressively and is unafraid to express his emotions on the field. The right-hander has been explosive for RCB with 2,273 runs in 94 matches during his IPL career. He was the second-highest run-scorer with 634 runs for RCB behind his teammate Chris Gayle last season. Kohli is also a good fielder and can bowl the occasional medium pace spell too. RCB will be counting on Kohli to come good early in the order so as to post or chase mammoth totals in the tournament.
AB de Villiers: The South-African wicket-keeper batsman has made a name for himself with his game changing abilities in the world of cricket. The 30-year-old cricketer has scored 1,662 runs in 74 matches during his IPL career. He can role-play himself as a finisher, middle-order batsman or even as a pinch hitter. During the 2012 season when playing the role of a finisher, he snatched wins out of the jaws of defeat. He unearthed some outrageous shots to incredible effect and in one over, smashed Dale Steyn for 23 - two fours and sixes each - to win RCB a thriller. De Villiers will be eager to provide the late flourishes to RCB against their opponents this year.
Ravi Rampaul: The 29-year-old speedster has been the bowling spearhead for West Indies for quite sometime now. The Trinidadian has the ability to move the ball both ways at a brisk pace that can keep the batsmen on their toes. With 105 wickets in ODIs and 26 scalps in T20 internationals to his name, Rampaul has undoubtedly become one of the specialists in limited-overs cricket for West Indies. His disciplined line and length has also earned him a lot of scalps early in the innings for his team. Apart from his bowling skills, Rampaul's batting cannot be underestimated. In 2011, he slammed an unbeaten 86 against India to register the highest score by a number 10 player in an ODI. Ravi Rampaul's sublime form was eminent in West Indies' victorious 2012 World T20 campaign. Rampaul will be one of the key players for the RCB with the ball this season.
Yuvraj Singh: The 32-year-old is one of the best all-rounders in limited-overs cricket for India. With over 1400 runs and 29 wickets in 70 games during his IPL career so far, Yuvi will be a match-winner for any team. Probably, that's the reason why RCB shelled out a whopping Rs 14 crore to make him the most expensive player in the IPL this season. Yuvi may have struggled for a spot in the Indian team lately, but his ability to take the game away from the opposition in a few overs make him one of the most dangerous players in modern-day cricket. Yuvi will be eager to justify his 'most expensive player' tag for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL this season.
Delhi Daredevils:
Delhi Daredevils appeared promising throughout their IPL career but are yet to add silverware in their trophy cabinet. Their title dreams were shattered after losing against Chennai Super Kings in the 2012 semi-final. The team is coached by former Indian coach Gary Kirsten alongside Eric Simons while Kevin Pietersen will lead the team this year.
Following their worst-ever season last year, Delhi chose against retaining either of their players ahead of the 2014 auctions. The team spent a whopping Rs 60 crore to rebuild the team for IPL 7.
Delhi will be seen without their mascot and former skipper Virender Sehwag for the first time in six years following his Rs 3.20-crore sale to Kings XI Punjab in the auctions this year. But, the team is still comprised of batting heavyweights including Kevin Pietersen, Dinesh Karthik, Quinton de Kock and Ross Taylor.
Team India's in-form seamer Mohammed Shami will spearhead Delhi's bowling attack this season while Jaydev Unadkat, Wayne Parnell and Jimmy Neesham will be seen in the supporting role. Also, the new signings of JP Duminy and Rahul Sharma alongside Shahbaz Nadeem will strengthen Delhi's spin-bowling this season.
After spending big at the auctions this year, Delhi Daredevils will be looking to turn it around this year especially after a tumultuous six-point season in 2013.
Five key players from Delhi Daredevils:
Kevin Pietersen: Arguably one of the most influential batsmen in limited-overs cricket, Kevin Pietersen will be Delhi's biggest bet in the IPL this year. Following his bitter fall-out with the ECB recently, Pietersen will be available for the full season - a fact that will surely lift the Daredevils. With over 600 runs and seven wickets in just 21 games, Pietersen is a must-have player in any team. Apart from his off-spinners and batting prowess, Delhi will also benefit from his leadership skills and international experience in the tournament this year.
Dinesh Karthik: The second most-expensive player in the IPL auction this year, Dinesh Karthik was notched up by Delhi for a whopping Rs 12.5 crore. Karthik was a livewire, with over 500 runs, for Mumbai Indians in the IPL last year. The right-hander's ability to read the game and mould his innings accordingly makes him a perfect player for limited-overs cricket. Having been named the vice-captain of Delhi, Karthik will also be responsible to add to the team's think-tank in the IPL this year.
Quinton de Kock: The 21-year-old wicketkeeper batsman is touted to be the next big thing for South Africa. His aggressive batting style at the top-order has been given headaches to some of the best bowlers in limited overs cricket. His recent quickfire innings against Australia in the two T20 internationals couldn't save the Proteas but surely showcased his batting prowess against a strong opposition. With a strike-rate of over 119 in T20s, de Kock is more than capable of leading the charge for the Daredevils in IPL 7.
Mohammed Shami: The 24-year-old speedster has been a terrific find for the Indian team. In a span of just 29 ODIs, Shami has bagged 50 wickets at an average of 28.96. Shami is the first Indian to bowl four or more maiden overs on his ODI debut. The Bengal seamer is more than capable of moving the new ball, but it is the ability to get reverse-swing that has brought him more accolades of late. Shami's discipline in line and length has made him MS Dhoni's go-to-bowler in the hour of need for India. Though Shami is yet to prove his mettle in T20 internationals, but expect him to come out with flying colours for Delhi in IPL 7.
Ross Taylor: One of the highly experienced and explosive batsmen in limited, Ross Taylor is a natural match-winner for any team. The aggressive top-order batsman is more than capable of taking the game away from the opposition. His ability to play the big shots and building crucial partnerships in the middle makes him an ideal player to have at no. 2 slot. Taylor slammed three consecutive fifties to script New Zealand's 2-1 ODI-series win over England in 2013. He has also been in terrific form in T20s with over 950 runs with 63 fours and 38 sixes. He will be one of the key players to watch out for in IPL this season.
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