The Indian Premier League talks have been dominated by Royal Challengers Bangalore over the years. It’s no surprise for a team captained by Virat Kohli with AB de Villiers, a longtime ally in power hitting betting. However, not winning a title in 12 seasons means those discussions invariably involve the India captain, despite his significant contributions season after season.
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RCB took on Sunrisers Hyderabad in their first game on Monday well in advance of how the team that finished last in the league table twice and sixth in the middle in the last three years would approach the new season. And David Warner, choosing to bowl, provided quick answers. The Challengers scored 163/5 and the Sunrisers had one mishap after another before being eliminated by 153 in 19.4 overs.
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The field chosen for the Dubai International Stadium was the same one where Delhi Capitals beat Kings XI Punjab after a Super Over on Sunday. That suggested a slower track and Kohli was expected to open with Aaron Finch.
Even in a packed season, it’s hard to stop Kohli from hitting. Due to Covid-19, she had waited 202 days to get a game, having last played in the Christchurch test that ended on March 2. The RCB pattern, although he had spoken of a fresh approach after the frustrations in 2019, and showed that patience was one of them.
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Kohli did not open. Instead, Karnataka starter Devdutt Padikkal, 20, chosen at player auctions after topping the 2018-19 one-day batting charts of 2018-19 Vijay Hazare and T20 Syed Mushtaq Ali, entered. Padikkal showed great confidence in storing deliveries on both sides of the gate and was also fluent. His 42-ball 56 on his IPL debut was admired by the Australian ODI patron, who let the young domestic hitter take the first hit and dominate.
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Padikkal ran ahead of Finch as SRH’s usually tight bowling department struggled. To add to his woes, injury-prone Australian off-roader Mitch Marsh sprained his ankle while throwing his first over, after being picked ahead of Kane Williamson.
Padikkal, who twice escaped being caught, was downed by Vijay Shankar going all out on the attack, though he had cashed and fulfilled the team’s plans with a 90-run stoppage with Finch (29). With young left-arm spinner Abhishek Sharma removing Finch’s next ball, Kohli and De Villiers were together.
Kohli ran through the wickets like the old men, but threw a slow ball from left arm closer T Natarajan to midwicket at 14, though de Villiers made a show, breaking a 51 of 30 balls to secure a solid total.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the death overs and leg spinner Rashid Khan made sure the total wasn’t too much, though the day only got more challenging after skipper David Warner (6) lagged too far behind in the second over , bowler Umesh Yadav deflecting the ball over the stumps.
Jonny Bairstow had scored a lot at Warner’s company last year. He had scored a century in the last ODI against Australia before landing. He and Manish Pandey did not take undue risks, proving that doing everything possible would become one less option as UAE launches start to slow down.
RCB bowling has been inconsistent in the past, but not on Monday. Finch dropped Bairstow to cover at the 40 before Pandey (34) holed out Yuzvendra Chahal, ending a 71-race stoppage that turned the tide.
Bairstow (61-43b) was missed by Dale Steyn and Padikkal, but Chahal threw him and Vijay Shankar on successive balls as six wickets fell for 22 runs. Young Priyam Garg and Abhishek Sharma got on their nerves, the latter exhausting himself after a collision in midfield that left Rashid Khan stunned. Navdeep Saini took two on one before the injured Marsh was caught swinging with one hand.
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