IPL 2023, PBKS VS RCB: Du Plessis, Siraj Starred in Bangalore’s Clinical Win

IPL 2023, PBKS VS RCB: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) are back to winning ways as they defeated Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 24 runs in match 27 of the ongoing IPL 2023 season at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. With this win, RCB jumped to the fifth position in the points table.

Put into bat first by PBKS stand-in captain Sam Curran, RCB openers Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli were off the blocks quickly as they fired their team to 59 for no loss in the first six overs. After a slow start, Faf accelerated and struck boundaries at regular intervals to put pressure on the PBKS bowlers in the first powerplay.

In the middle overs, PBKS bowlers kept the lid on the scoring rate as RCB did not lose any wickets in overs between seven to fifteen, but the scoring rate significantly dropped down. Still, RCB managed to get to 91 at the halfway mark without losing any wickets. RCB were on course for 200 plus total but PBKS bowled well in the middle and death overs to pull things back in their favor. With no wickets lost in the 10 overs, the platform was set to go berserk in Mohali. Faf and Kohli, both reached their respective half-centuries and added 137 runs in 100 balls before Harpreet Brar got Kohli out in the 17th over. The left-arm spinner removed Glenn Maxwell on the next delivery to push back Bangalore. RCB could only manage 83 runs off the last 60 balls and ended up at 174/4.

IPL 2023, PBKS VS RCB: Fiery Siraj Rattles PBKS

Requiring 175 to chase on a true surface, PBKS wasted no little time to introduce their impact player- Prabhsimran Singh, who opened with young Atharva Taide. Mohammed Siraj required only two balls to draw the first blood. Wanindu Hasaranga then removed Matthew Short as PBKS lost 2 wickets inside three overs. In the fourth over, Livingstone was pinned in front of the wicket by Siraj to cut short his stay at the crease. It was Siraj’s day in the field as his direct hit found Harpreet Singh Bhatia short of his crease.

After being four down in the powerplay it was always difficult to chase down anything above 170. Punjab lost early wickets and that clearly came back to haunt them. Prabhsimran, did well to compile a 30-ball 46, but he threw his wicket away in the 12th over to put his team in misery. Wicket-keeper batter Jitesh Sharma played some brilliant shots to keep his team in the game but he was the lone ranger and couldn’t help his team get over the line, thanks to some excellent death bowling by Siraj and Harshal Patel.