IPL 2021: KKR vs RCB Review – Kolkata cruise to 9-wicket win in one-sided clash

It was a forgettable day for Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore, who registered their sixth successive loss in the UAE on Monday. Resuming their IPL 2021 campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders, RCB were bowled out for just 92 in their first innings. KKR wrapped up the chase in 10 overs, winning the match by 9 wickets.

A one-sided affair

The day was even more disappointing for the RCB skipper, who was playing his 200th match in the IPL. Kohli was RCB’s first casualty, falling for just 5 runs. Devdutt Padikkal and KS Bharat pushed their team’s total beyond 40 in the Powerplay. But an imminent collapse followed and RCB never really recovered from there, thanks to KKR’s brilliant bowling performance.

When it came down to chasing down a paltry target of 93, the KKR openers managed to seal the deal without breaking a sweat. There was a change in the opening combination as debutant Venkatesh Iyer was introduced along with Shubman Gill. Iyer stayed unbeaten on 41 (27), fittingly hitting the winning runs. Gill was dismissed in the 10th over for 48 runs. By the end of that over, Iyer had finished the job.

Top performers

Varun Chakravarthy: The mystery spinner impressed once again, spinning a web that was hard to get out of. During his 4-over spell where he gave only 13 runs, Chakravarthy displayed all his skills and variations with the ball confusing RCB batters. He got rid of Glenn Maxwell and Wanindu Hasaranga off consecutive balls and dismissed Sachin Baby later for his third scalp.

Andre Russell: There is often so much talk about Russell’s batting that his bowling gets neglected. But on his return to the IPL, Russell proved just why he’s the perfect all-rounder. He bowled AB de Villiers with a searing yorker on the very first ball he faced and also got the important wicket of Bharat.

Personal achievements/records

• This was the largest win for KKR in terms of balls remaining (60 balls). Their previous best was against Rajasthan Royals (37 balls) twice in 2011 and 2019
• This was KKR’s fifth win by nine wickets in the IPL. They have won by 10 wickets once in 2017, against the now-defunct Gujarat Lions.

Way ahead

KKR will now face Mumbai Indians in Abu Dhabi on September 23 while RCB will travel to Sharjah and play Chennai Super Kings on September 24.