On this day in 2015 - RCB beat SRH in a cliffhanger

With only two games left to play in the league phase of the 2015 season of the IPL, Royal Challengers travelled to Hyderabad to take on the Sunrisers with both sides vying for a spot in the top four. A victory in this game for either side would not only put them in a strong position to qualify for the playoffs but also leave a dent in the hopes of their opposition.

If ever one could get lucky by losing a toss, today was the day. Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner won the toss and elected to bat, hoping to put the RCB batsmen under pressure in the run-chase. Fortunately for Bangalore, the heavens opened up after the toss forcing a long delay, and the game was curtailed to an eleven overs a side affair when it eventually commenced.

RCB bowlers kept a tight lid on the proceedings in the first four overs, not letting the Sunrisers’ batting run away with the game. The spark for the Sunrisers came in the form of Aussie all-rounder Moises Henriques, who targeted Yuzvendra Chahal successfully to open the floodgates. RCB were severely hurt by the 3 overs from the fifth, as they yielded a mammoth 56 runs, as Chahal, Dinda and Harshal Patel found it tough to bowl with a wet ball. 

Henriques’ outstanding display of power-hitting came to an end when he chased a wide off-cutter and only edged it to Dinesh Karthik behind the stumps. Henriques’ 22-ball 57, however, had put Sunrisers in a strong position, who set RCB a herculean task of having to chase 136 in their 11 overs for a win.

Kohli outsmarted Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the final over of the game, as RCB chased down the target with only a ball to spare

The rub of the green was with RCB on the day, as the rain started pouring as soon as the Sunrisers’ innings ended. RCB however, could not afford a washout. Much to the relief of the Royal Challengers, the rain stopped just in time to allow 6 overs to be played, with RCB having to chase 81 runs for a win. Chris Gayle took off like a freight train, and the intentions were clear. He was not going to be mucking around. Dale Steyn’s first over went for 17 runs. Gayle singlehandedly took 24 runs off the second over of the innings bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and half the target was knocked off in 2 overs. With only 40 runs needed from the last 4 overs, RCB were well on their way and were now favourites to win the game.

However, just like he did with the bat, Moises Henriques changed the game with the ball. He dismissed both Gayle and de Villiers off consecutive balls, throwing the game wide open again. The pressure of getting the team over the line now fell on the shoulders of RCB skipper Virat Kohli. He had to find the perfect balance between having to take the chase deep, and yet at the same time not let the required rate swell. Kohli found the perfect approach, putting away bad deliveries to the boundary and working the ball around, keeping the scoreboard ticking at a consistent rate.

The equation read 13 runs required off the last over. The task was not going to be easy as Kohli had a highly skilled death overs specialist, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, against him. When Dinesh Karthik was run out off the second ball of the over, RCB still needed 12 off the last 4 balls. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was landing his yorkers to perfection. Kohli, however, was up to the task as he manoeuvred the field to perfection, placing a wide yorker perfectly past deep point for a boundary. 8 needed off 3. Bhuvneshwar was not going to switch his approach after just a boundary, but Kohli was equal to the challenge. He pre-empted a sweep shot, but quickly changed his mind mid-way and deftly guided the ball past point, now brought in, for another boundary. 4 needed off 2. Kohli lofted the next ball, on a length, looking to clear the long-off fence. When David Warner got under it, the RCB hearts sank. But, in a plot twist of the proportions of a Bollywood movie, the Aussie, Warner, retreated back onto the ropes. Six runs were signalled, and RCB had beaten the Sunrisers Hyderabad in a humdinger.