RCB cruises into final as Punjab Kings snoozes in Qualifier 1

By K.R. Nayar

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) produced a show worthy enough to be the finalist of the Indian Premier League. The manner in which they booked their flight to Ahmedabad for the final—by securing an emphatic eight-wicket win with 60 balls to spare in the Qualifier 1 clash against Punjab Kings—was simply brilliant. It marked the biggest win (by number of balls remaining) in IPL playoff history.

 

Royal Challengers Bangalore breezes into the final. 

Bangalore brilliance on the field was such that Punjab’s innings lasted only 14.1 overs and were bowled out for a paltry 101 runs. It was so shocking to see Punjab’s collapse on their home wicket. They batted as if they had no clue about this wicket and were strangers to this pitch. It was nothing but a clinical performance from Bangalore with Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood and Delhi’s 22-year-old leg break googly bowler Suyash Sharma taking three wickets each.

 

Royal Challengers Bangalore players who were brilliant on the field 

Punjab skipper Shreyas Iyer, after the defeat, remarked that they lost the battle but not the war. It is worth remembering that in this match Punjab did not battle but meekly surrendered to Bangalore.

 

Josh Hazlewood... timely strikes 

Before this qualifier, there was huge talk that it could be a battle of Iyer versus Kohli. Iyer scored just two runs and Kohli only 12 runs. It was also expected that the Punjab batting would rise over Bangalore. If Punjab could have managed a total of at least 160 runs, then there would have been some sort of a battle. The result of such a low total was that RCB smooth sailed into the IPL final after a nine year wait.

 

Phil Salt... breezy unbeaten half century

Punjab will now have to pull up their socks and play smart cricket on June 1 when they take on the winner of the Gujarat Titans vs Mumbai Indians’s Eliminator match, if they have to earn another chance to reach the final.  

 

The embarrassment of being bowled out in 14.1 overs, which is the least number of overs batted by any team in a play-off, will have to be wiped away. The previous least was 16.1 overs by Delhi Capitals against Rajasthan Royals in the 2008 edition. Bangalore won this match in just 10 overs and the whole match lasted only 24.1 overs!

 

Marcus Stonis.. top scorer for Punjab

Bangalore’s opener Phil Salt literally added Salt into the wounds of Punjab’s bad batting display. He cracked an unbeaten 56 with six scorching boundaries and three massive sixes. In the sixth over of Bangalore’s innings, Salt hit two consecutive boundaries and a six to take 21 runs off Kyle Jamieson’s over. Incidentally, Jamieson had produce a wicket maiden when he dismissed Kohli. Salt’s half century came off 21 deliveries.

 

A look at each of Punjab’s batters fall reveals their poor shot selection.  Opener Priyansh Arya hit Yash Dayal straight to Krunal Pandya at the cover. Opener Prabhsimran Singh made a charge and went through with the swing to offer a thin edge to wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. This was followed by the biggest setback for Punjab when Hazlewood hit the deck hard for that extra bounce and forced Iyer to edge to the wicketkeeper. It was Josh Inglis’ inability to control his pull to a short one from Hazlewood that resulted in him getting caught a long leg.  To make matters worse, Nehal Wadhera chopped Dayal on to his wicket.

 

Captains before the clash 

Five wickets down for 50, Suyash Sharma struck repeatedly. Shashank Sharma played a wild shot, which was unwarranted at this score, and got bowled. When Musheer Khan fell leg before to Suyash, it was clear that it was Bangalore’s day at the Mullanpur’s Mahraja Yadavindra Singh Stadium. The only resistance was from Marcus Stonis, who top scored with 26 runs. Suyash got him out forcing him to play a wild swipe and get clean bowled.

 

RCB has previously reached the final in 2009, 2011, and 2016. This time, they’ve returned with a strong message—it could finally be their year. This emphatic win is a huge morale booster.