A brilliant bowling performance by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB led the team to a 8-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
KKR set the unwanted record of lowest team score in 20 overs in the 13th edition of the IPL when they scored 84/8 wickets against RCB.
Pacer Mohammed Siraj led the stranglehold for RCB, taking three wickest for eight runs and bowling two maidens in four overs.This is the first time back-to-back maiden overs have been bowled in the IPL.
Siraj and his new ball partner Navdeep Saini tore into the top half for the KKR batting order in the powerplay overs. While Siraj dismissed opener Rahul Tripathi, Nitish Rana and Tom Banton, Saini got Tripathi's openng partner Shubman Gill.
Captain Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik tried to steady the ship by holding on to their wickets between the fourth and eighth over. Karthik finally departed, falling to Yuzvendra Chahal in the ninth over, having made four runs from 14 balls. An eighth wicket partnership of 27 runs between Lockie Ferguson and Kuldeep Yadav was KKR's highest.
Left with a lowly 85 runs to chase, RCB started briskly with openers Aaron Finch and Devdutt Padikkal scoring 46 in six overs. Finch was dismissed on 16 by Lockie Ferguson before Padikkal was run out after a mix-up with new batsman Gurkeerat Mann.
But RCB comfortably chased down 85 in under 14 overs.