IPL 2023 RCB vs SRH: Virat, du Plessis keep Challengers hope alive

Chasing a target of 186 runs, RCB finished off the match in 19.2 overs only and won by 8 wickets. Virat Kohli even scored a century in this match to make sure RCB is still in the playoffs race.

SRH Innings:

Standing the bottom of the IPL points tally, SRH’s skipper Aiden Markram was asked to bat first by RCB’s Faf du Plessis.

Like previous matches, the opening pair of the Sunrisers — Abhishek Sharma (11) and Rahul Tripathi (15) — failed to rise and fall down in the powerplay, and that to in the 5th over bowled by Michael Bracewell.

Following this, the first runner up and squad’s skipper Aiden Markram (18), too couldn’t do much and got dismissed Shahbaz Ahmed in the 13th over.

However, Heinrich Klaasen stayed on the pitch and scored a century (104), helping the team cross 180 target. He was too dismissed in the 19th over by Harshal Patel. By the end of 20 overs, SRH managed to put at score of 186 runs after losing 5 wickets.

For RCB, Michael Bracewell took two wickets, while Mohammed Siraj, Shahbaz Ahmed and Harshal Patel clinched one wicket each.

RCB Innings:

As the match was being a do or die situation for RCB to qualify for playoffs, chasing the target of 187 was not the point, but the net run rate was more important.

Perhaps that was going on inside the head of RCB openers — Virat Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis — when they entered the field.

Both Kohli and du Plessis showcased an explosive batting, as by 5 overs, RCB were 59 for no loss and by 10 over they scored 95 for no loss of wicket. When the team reach 150 in 15 overs, then also not even a single wicket fell.

But after scoring a century in just 63 balls, Kohli was dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over. Plessis (71 off 47 balls) was too dismissed by T Natarajan in the following over.

After this, Glen Maxwell (5*) and Michael Bracewell (4*) led the team to a 8-wicket victory against Sunrisers.

With this the hope for Sunrisers Hyderabad to play in the playoff is lost, but RCB has kept its hope alive. It is currently at the 5th spot with 12 points and still has two more matches left. Its NRR is also in the positive – +0.166. Among the the teams that have already qualified is Gujarat Titans with 18 points. 

Looking at the IPL points tally, apart from RCB, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals are fighting to confirm its seat in the playoffs. Only RCB and SRH have two matches left to play, else, all other teams have only one match left ahead of playoff to begin.