#TATAIPL2022 : Match – 3: Punjab Kings Beat Royal Challengers Bangalore In A High Scoring Thriller By 5 Wickets

Picture : Twitter / IPL

The clash between the Punjab Kings and The Royal Challengers Bangalore was high scoring affair at the DY Patil Stadium Mumbai . In the third match of Tata IPl 2022, it was the Kings who showed never give up attitude as they successfully chased a big total and winning by 5 wickets .

Put inti bat by Punjab Kings Skipper Mayank Agarwal the new Skipper replacing K L Rahul , one thought that the decision to put RCB in was a mistake after RCB posted a challenging total .

New RCB skipper Faf du Plessis  led from the front scoring  88 off 57 balls studded with three fours and seven maximums.  Former Skipper Virat Kohli too was aggressive in his 41 0ff 29 balls . Anuj Rawat chipped in with 21 . But it was  the superb finish by Dinesh Karthik that saw RCB cross 200 . Karthik was brilliant  as smashed a unbeaten 14 ball 32 with three fours and  equal number of sixes  as RCB finished  at 205/ 2 in their 20 overs.

Kings bowlers had not much to show, Sandeep Sharma 0/ 37 ( 4 overs) , Arshdeep Singh 1/31 ( 4 overs), Odean Smith was expensive 0/ 52 ( 4 overs) , Rahul Chahar 1/ 22 ( 4 overs) , Harpreet Brar 0/ 38 ( 3 overs), Liam Livingstone 1/ 14 ( 1 over)

Chasing a big target, the kings showed intent from the start. Skipper Mayank Agarwal and seasoned Shikhar Dhawan got them off to a flier. Dhawan has been in imperious form in the IPL . Moving to Punjab from the Delhi Capitals, Dhawan showed his value at the top . Dhawan scored 43 Off 29 balls with five fours , one maximum. Mayank supported well for his quick 32 off 24 balls with two fours and two maximums.  The duo put on 71  for the first wicket in only 7.1 overs. The chase was very much on . Big hitting  Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa made his impact felt with a power packed 43 off mere 22 balls . Smashing two fours and 4 maximums. Liam Livingstone ( 19 ), Newcomer Raj Bawa fell for 0 . But the finishing to the chase was done by Shahrukh Khan and powerful West Indian Odean Smith. Shahrukh Khan remained unbeaten on 24 off 20 balls ( 1 four , two sixes). Odean Smith scored a blazing  unbeaten 8 ball 25 . Three sixes and one four — the last of which sealed the final result in Punjab’s favour in the penultimate over of the match.

Smith was let off by RCB fielder Anuj Rawat who dropped a sitter. A catch that could have tilted the match RCB’s  way . But in cricket there is no ifs and buts.  Anuj Rawat had earlier taken a fine catch to remove Liam Livingstone. Kings finished at 208/ 5 in 19 overs.

RCB bowlers had a tough time . David Willey 0/ 28 ( 3 overs) Mohammed Siraj took two in a over but was expensive 2/ 59 ( overs), Akash Deep  1/ 38 ( 3 overs), Sri Lankan Wanindu Hasaranga 1/ 40 ( 4 overs) , Harshal Patel 1/ 36 ( 4 overs) Shahbaz Ahmed 0/ 6 ( 1 over)