IPL 2023: Faf, Maxwell, and Harshal star in RCB's 7-run win over RR

Bengaluru, April 23 (IANS) Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell excelled with half-centuries while Harshal Patel starred with the ball as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) beat table-toppers Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven runs in an IPL 2023 match here at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

This was RCB's fourth win of the season and they are placed fifth in the table with eight points in seven games. On the other hand, it was RR's third loss in seven games and they continued to be on top with eight points and with a healthy run rate.

Faf du Plessis' authoritative 62 off 39 and Glenn Maxwell's blockbuster 77 off 44 helped RCB post 189/9 in 20 overs. Harshal Patel then roared back into form with a crucial spell of 3-32 as he held his nerve in the last over and defended 20 to win the match.

Chasing 190, Rajasthan Royals didn't get off to the best of starts as Mohammed Siraj cleaned up Jos Buttler for a duck. Then, Yashaswi Jaiswal and Devdutt Padikkal together collected eight boundaries in three overs. And Jaiswal hit a huge 81m six off Maxwell as RR reached 41/1 at the end of the Power-play.

The duo kept the runs flowing and accumulated 51 runs off the next four overs to take the Royals to 92/1 after 10 overs.

Padikkal completed his fifty in 31 deliveries but he departed soon after as David Willey finally provided a crucial breakthrough, having him caught at long-on for 52 (34). An over later, Harshal Patel denied Jaiswal a half-century as he sent the batter packing for 47.

RCB managed to put pressure on the Royals with their tight bowling as the visitors didn't get a single boundary between 11-15 overs.

Samson then finally released the pressure valve hitting a four and a six off Wanindu Hasaranga and then a four against Harshal Patel. But the RCB pacer hit back off the next ball, having Samson caught at short third man for 22 (15). But, Dhruv Jurel kept the visitors in the hunt as he injected much-needed momentum, counter-attacking 34 runs towards the death overs.

Then a sensational direct hit saw Suyash Prabhudessai run out the dangerman Shimron Hetmyer. With 33 needed in 12, Jurel smashed a stunning flat six off the bowling of Siraj and survived a dramatic run-out and 13 runs came off the over.

With 20 needed off the final over, Ashwin played a bizarre shot and got boundary, and went for a double on the next ball. He followed that up with another four and tried to go big on the next delivery but didn't get much elevation and handed a simple catch to the fielder stationed in the deep mid-wicket. With 10 needed off 2, two singles came off the last two balls and RCB sealed the win by 7 runs.

Earlier, batting first, RCB suffered two early blows in the form of Virat Kohli and Shahbaz Ahmed. Then, Faf du Plessis and Glen Maxwell got into the rebuilding act and took the Power-play score to 62/2.

The duo stitched 127 runs off 66 balls partnership before Du Plessis got run out by Yashaswi Jaiswal's brilliant direct hit in the 14th over. Then, Maxwell, who was doing merry with his calculated hits, fell in the next over for 77.

After Maxwell's dismissal, RCB lost their way in the last six overs as RR concede just 50 runs off the last 41 balls and picked up seven wickets to restrict the home side to 189/9.

Brief scores:

Royal Challengers Bangalore 189/9 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 62, Glenn Maxwell 77; Trent Boult 2-41, Sandeep Sharma 2-49) beat Rajasthan Royals 182/6 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 47, Devdutt Padikkal 52; Harshal Patel 3-32) by 7 runs.