Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by six runs in their Indian Premier League match in Chennai on Wednesday. RCB managed only 149 for eight after being asked to bat first. In reply, SRH were stopped at 143 for nine.
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper David Warner led from the front with a 37-ball 54, while Manish Pandey contributed 38.
The two added 83 runs for the second wicket and helped their side close in on the target of 150, but left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed snared three wickets to change the complexion of the game. At one point, SRH was cruising at 96-1 and then 115-2 but Shahbaz, bowling the 17th over, snapped up three crucial wickets of Jonny Bairstow, Manish Pandey and Abdul Samad to turn the game in RCB's favour.
For RCB, Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell top-scored with 59 off 41 balls at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. At the top of the order, RCB captain Virat Kohli made 33 off 29 balls but his opening partner Devdutt Padikkal, returning to the team after recovering from COVID-19, got out for 11.
The SRH bowlers produced a disciplined performance with leg-spinner Rashid Khan returning very impressive figures of 2/18 in his quota of four overs. The most successful bowler for SRH, however, was Jason Holder as he picked up 3/30.
The win means RCB go to the top of the table after winning their first two games while SRH is down in 7th position. It is still early days in the 2021 IPL season but the performances from a number of players in the RCB team has given captain Virat Kohli plenty of optimism for the season ahead.
Harshal Patel starred in the first game for RCB against Mumbai Indians by taking a five-wicket haul and he was instrumental again by bowling at the death against SRH.
The Bengaluru-based side is yet to win the IPL in 13 attempts and lost the 2016 final to SRH.