King returns to form as RCB thumps Titans to keep playoff race alive

Ever since the IPL 2022 auction, if there was one topic that was predominantly discussed across the undulating cricketing fabric, that was RCB’s top three. The upper half of RCB’s pecking order that was dotingly labelled as KGF had struggled to wreak havoc in tandem. Until now.

Put to field first by Hardik Pandya, RCB would taste first blood in the following over with Josh Hazlewood producing the much-needed drift while Maxwell pouched an absolute stunner at slip. Despite a decent start from Matthew Wade, Maxwell would deal the Titans a second whammy with a straight skitter that would outpace Wade’s reflexes while the ball-tracking would show that the stumps were going to be hit in the follow through.

Faf led from the front in the field with laserlike precision as he rattled the timbre with a direct-hit from range, leaving Wriddhiman Saha short of the crease. Titans would then premise a decent comeback as their captain Hardik Pandya and David Miller would stitch together a crucial stand for the fourth wicket, propelling them to 123 before Hasaranga would pluck out an absolute ripper from mid-air off his own bowling to remove Miller.

Hazlewood would strike a second blow to dismiss Tewatia for cheap before Rashid Khan and Pandya would stitch together a fine blitz to put up a decent total on the cards that needed some digging to get RCB through.

Chasing 169, the Challengers had nothing to lose and that fearlessness was amplified a zillion times as two of the most successful batters in the antiquity of the shortest format of the game took it upon themselves to torment the Titans.

Virat Kohli came out in scintillating colours as he would rack up a storm that seemed like a long-lost fable as the latest edition of the tournament would snake by.

There was definitely an extended hand of lady luck with the ball passing the timbre by whiskers but then champions like Kohli know exactly how to make good use of lifelines and seeing the former RCB captain bat felt like poetry in motion.

The opening duo would put together a brilliant 115 on the cards before Faf would finally lose his plot trying to go big. Maxwell was spared a life on the very first ball from Rashid as the delivery would flicker the lights of the bails but they weren’t dislodged leaving everyone astounded. What followed next was more than enough to leave the Titans reeling in torment as Maxwell would unleash the thunder from Down Under with a match-finishing 40 off just 18 balls.

Despite Virat’s fall just inches behind the finishing line, RCB won’t have any problem whatsoever to convert it into a sumptuous victory, keeping their play-off chances breathing.

With the much-needed win for RCB secured, now all eyes turn to the Saturday encounter between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians that has been slated to be played at the Mecca of Indian cricket, Wankhede.