Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli with his RCB teammates (Credits: IPL)

SunRisers Hyderabad, on Saturday, thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore by five wickets to register their sixth win of the season and remain in hunt for the playoffs. RCB, on the other hand, suffered their third consecutive defeat and are currently at second spot with 7 wins from 13 games.

Chasing a modest 121, SRH crossed the finishing line in the 15th over . Wriddhiman Saha, who had scored 87 in the previous game, once again top-scored for his side, scoring 39 while Manish Pandey played a 26-run knock. Towards the end, Jason Holder played a fine cameo of 26 off just 10 balls to help SRH register a thumping win.

Wriddhiman Saha
Wriddhiman Saha [Photo-BCCI/IPL]
Earlier in the game, RCB could only manage 120 for 7 after David Warner won the toss and invited them to bat first. The Bangalore-based outfit were off to a poor start as their in-form opener Devdutt Padikkal and skipper Virat Kohli departed for 5 and 7 runs respectively with just 28 runs on the board.

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Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli. (Credits: Twitter)

It was followed by a 43-run stand between Josh Philippe and AB de Villiers before both the batsmen departed in quick succession to leave RCB reeling at 76 for 4 in the 12th over. RCB’s innings never got the impetus it needed to post a big total after losing the early wickets as they finished on a modest total.

For SRH, T Natarajan conceded just 11 runs off his four overs while taking a wicket while Jason Holder and Sandeep Sharma picked two wickets apiece.

Virat Kohli’s reaction:

Speaking after the game, RCB skipper Virat Kohli admitted that the runs put on the board by his team was not enough. Virat Kohli also said his team was just not brave enough with the bat and also credited SRH bowlers for bowling in the right areas.

“It was never enough. We thought 140 might be a good total to get into the game, but things changed drastically, which we didn’t predict. It is strange. We thought the weather became pleasant, and there won’t be much dew.

“I thought we were not brave enough with the bat throughout the innings. To be fair to them, they bowled in the right areas and used the pitch,” he added.

RCB still have their destiny in their hands and can finish in top two if they beat Delhi Capitals in their final league game. Speaking ahead of the game, Virat Kohli, who hails from Delhi, fired a warning at his home franchise, making it clear that he would not do any favour to them.

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“The situation is straightforward: win the last game and finish in the top two. It is going to be a cracker of a game with two teams locked at 14. I have always been a Bangalore boy when it comes to the IPL, and never drifted towards Delhi,” said the RCB superstar.

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