Chasing a target of 132 in T20 cricket with Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers (in addition to eight other batsmen) in your batting line-up gives the impression of a cakewalk. But not today. Certainly not.
Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and elected to field earlier in the evening. Their bowlers did more than just well to restrict the opposition to 131 on their home deck. But what followed in the second innings was far from anyone’s imagination.
Royal Challengers’ batsmen fell like matchsticks and surrendered even before the halfway mark. ‘70189820250’ is not a mobile number but the scores of Bangalore’s batsmen. An aggregate of 49 ended up being the lowest totals in the Indian Premier League, beating the previous lowest of 59 (by Rajasthan Royals vs RCB in 2009). It was 10th lowest in the overall T20s.
Bangalore’s batting also displayed a fair amount irony in it. Exactly four years ago, they had amassed 263-5 against Pune Warriors India, which is till date the highest score in IPL cricket. And today, they have registered the lowest score in IPL.
Talking about the ever-so-impressive bowlers from Kolkata Knight Riders, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Chris Woakes and Colin de Grandhomme picked up three wickets apiece. Coulter-Nile was declared Man of the Match for his strikes at the beginning of the innings.
Watch how people reacted to RCB’s defeat on Twitter:
Do I need to say anything…but that I love u all at the Eden Garden. Ami KKR…YAAAYYYYYY!!!!! pic.twitter.com/m6rjTFhOOl
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) April 23, 2017
Collective brain fade or wot? Bowled out in less than 10 overs, not one batsman into double figures. Mindbogglingly disastrous by RCB.
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) April 23, 2017
You would not want to look at that image if you are an #RCB fan! #49AllOut https://t.co/cCEbITvHIr #KKRvRCB #IPL pic.twitter.com/0F0sMfEQ14
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 23, 2017
So, bowlers do still win matches #KKRvRCB
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) April 23, 2017
