RCB beats RR in IPL 2023 with Maxwell-Du Plessis-close finish.
IPL 2023 saw Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) register their fourth win by defeating Rajasthan Royals (RR) by seven runs in a thrilling match held at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on 23 April. The star performers for RCB were Glenn Maxwell and Faf du Plessis, who played exceptional innings. Chasing a target of 190 runs set by RCB, Rajasthan Royals could only manage 182 runs for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs.
RCB’s innings was led by Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell. After winning the toss and electing to bat first, RCB set a target of 189 runs for RR. Faf du Plessis scored 62 runs while Maxwell contributed 77 runs to the total. RR’s Trent Boult and Sandeep Sharma took two wickets each to put some brakes on RCB’s innings.
In response, RR got off to a terrible start, losing the wicket of Jos Buttler for just one run. Mohammad Siraj bowled him out without giving him a chance to open his account. However, Yashasvi Jaswal and Devdutt Padikkal put together a 98-run partnership for the second wicket to give RR some hope. Padikkal scored 52 runs off 34 balls, which included seven fours and a six. However, David Willey ended the partnership by getting Padikkal caught out by Kohli. Yashasvi Jaiswal also lost his wicket after scoring 47 runs off 37 balls, including five fours and two sixes, caught by Kohli off the bowling of Harshal Patel. Despite a valiant effort from Dhruv Jurel, who scored 34 runs off 16 balls, RR could not win the match, falling seven runs short.
The win has taken RCB to fifth place in the points table, having won four out of seven matches so far. With this victory, RCB has equaled RR at the top of the table with eight points. However, RR remains at the top of the table due to their better net run rate.
RCB’s victory was primarily due to the excellent batting performance by Maxwell and du Plessis. Maxwell played an aggressive innings, smashing seven fours and five sixes in his 77-run knock, while du Plessis scored 62 runs, including four fours and three sixes. The two batsmen put together a crucial partnership of 119 runs for the third wicket to give RCB a total to defend.
RCB’s bowling was led by Harshal Patel, who took three wickets in his four overs, including the crucial wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal. He was ably supported by Mohammad Siraj, who bowled a tight spell and took one wicket for just 27 runs in his four overs. Kyle Jamieson and Yuzvendra Chahal took one wicket each to restrict RR to 182 runs.
In conclusion, RCB’s fourth win in the IPL 2023 has come as a result of a brilliant batting display by Maxwell and du Plessis, backed up by some excellent bowling performances by Harshal Patel and Mohammad Siraj. Although RR put up a good fight, they ultimately fell short by seven runs, leaving RCB with a hard-fought victory. RCB will look to continue their winning momentum in the upcoming matches, while RR will aim to bounce back from this loss and secure their place at the top of the points table.
