IPL 2020: RCB defeats 2016 Champions Sunrisers Hyderabad by 10 runs

Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made a winning start to their IPL 2020 campiagn and snatched a win from the jaw of defeat to stun Sunrisers Hyderabad. Leg-sinner Yuzvendra Chahal took back to back to wickets in the 16th over to open a floodgate of wickets for his team as RCB defended their 164-run target to win by 10 runs. SRH were once crusing at 121 for 2 in 15 overs and were just 43 runs away from a comfortable win.

After unluckily losing their captain David Warner (6) through a runout at non-striker's end, Jonny Bairstow (61) and Manish Pandey (34) accumulated 71 runs together to make SRH's run-chase an easy one. Things were just in control when Yuzvendra Chahal, RCB"s trump-card took 2 consecutive wickets to bring back the pressure on SRH. Chahal deceived dangerous looking Bairstow and bowled him before ripping apart Vijay Shankar's (0) on the next delivery.

Young debutant Priyam Garg (12) then succumbed to the pressure and was bowled out by Shivam Dube while trying to play a ramp shot. Tensions brewed up after Rashid Khan and Abhishek Sharma collied while stealing a single and the latter got run out. SRH were 29 runs away from the target then and had 18 balls in hand. An injured Mitchell Marsh came to bat at the 10th



position but departed for a duck. Dale Steyn came in to ball in the last over and took his first wicket in the IPL 2020 to finish the SRH innings.

Earlier, RCB were off to a flying start after losing the toss against SRH. 20-year-old debutant Devdutt Padikkal came in to open with new recruit Aaron Finch and overshadowed him completely with his flamboyant hits. The opening wicket stand for RCB reached 90 runs in no time, thanks to an explosive fifty by Padikkal, who perished at the end of 11th over only after smashing 56 off 42 runs. RCB were looking all set to post a big total when Aaron Finch (29) also departed on the very next delivery.

It was then that the most popular batting pair of IPL, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers were together for the first time in this season but fans did not get to witness the magic of the duo as the RCB captain, in a very rare instance looked rusty and departed after scoring a boundary-less 14.

AB de Villiers came to the rescue of RCB for the millionth time and scored some ravishing shots to bring up his 34th IPL fifty and in the process took his team's total to a respectable 163.

RCB will next face KXIP on Thursday, while SRH will be clashing against KKR on Saturday.