Virat’s return to form, Devdutt’s growing stature, and Chahal’s magic: 5 talking points from RCB vs RR

RCB comfortably eased past Rajasthan Royals in the fourth game of the tournament, chasing down a target of 155 without any major hiccups. While the run-chase was anchored by the return to form of Virat Kohli, and Devdutt’s growing stature, the game was set up by the bowlers with a disciplined performance, restricting the Royals to a score of 154. We look at 5 talking points from a game that put RCB at the top of the IPL league table for the first time since 2011, although only for a short while

Those 15 balls

The Rajasthan Royals’ top 3 are among the strongest in the tournament. The openers in Jos Buttler and Steve Smith are followed by the in-form Sanju Samson. Having gotten off to a brisk start, Jos Buttler having put away a couple of boundaries and a pull shot for a six, RCB needed to make inroads quickly. Isuru Udana got that breakthrough, Steve Smith playing one on. Then it was Jos Buttler, and within another over even Sanju Samson was back in the hut. The three wickets, those 15 balls decided the direction of the game. The three early wickets certainly knocked off 20 runs from their eventual total.

Saini’s maiden-wicket

Navdeep Saini would have been riding high on the confidence of the Super over from the game against Mumbai. Jos Buttler was looking ominous on the day, and the only way RCB could have stopped him was to dismiss him. Brought in to bowl for the fourth over, Saini not only picked up Jos Buttler but followed it up with a rare sight in T20s - a maiden over. It was a smart move by captain Kohli to bring in his strike bowler at the time, and have a fielder at slip where Devdutt Padikkal took a good, low catch to get rid of Buttler.

Chahal’s magic

Yuzvendra Chahal proved once again why he is one of the best bowlers in the tournament. Going into the game, he had an economy rate of 5.69 against the Royals, and he was at his menacing best on a slow and low track. He was introduced into the attack earlier than usual in the powerplay. The move paid off handsomely as he dismissed Rajasthan’s highest run-scorer so far Sanju Samson from the first ball of his spell. Typically looped Chahal leg-spinner wide of the of stump did the trick against Robin Uthappa. The set Mahipal Lomror was looking to accelerate when a similar trick worked like a charm against him as well. With his three wickets, not only did Chahal not let the Royals batsmen build a substantial base, but also snared the purple cap.

The return of King Kohli

Virat Kohli looked scratchy again at the beginning. But, there is no better comfort zone for Virat than when he has a total in front of him to chase. He took his time initially, but once that elusive first boundary of the tournament was dispatched, the confidence grew with every ball. Then came the trademark cover drive - a shot that is representative of Virat’s form. The significance of the innings was beyond the 72 he scored. His presence in the middle, guiding young Devdutt through the chase would have come as a valuable lesson early in his career. With Virat anchoring the chase, was there any doubt RCB would get across the line?

Dev continues to impress

With every passing game, Devdutt seems to add more weapons to his arsenal. Or rather, he reveals more facets of his game. RCB have long been searching for a quality opening pair, and the team certainly seems to have found a strong combination at the top with Devdutt and Finch. No other batsman in the history of the IPL has scored 3 half-centuries in his first four games, and Devdutt is creating buzz for all the right reasons. If the first two half-centuries came while setting a target, this one came in a run-chase. The fact that he did not let the required rate get out of hand while Virat Kohli slowly batted his way into form was a sign of maturity from the young batsman.