By K Aditya
Dubai, Sep 29 (UNI) Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers restricted Rajasthan Royals to 149/9 in the stipulated 20 overs after Harshal Patel (3/34), Yuzvendra Chahal (2/18) and Shahbaz Ahmed (2/10) triggered an RR batting collapse in match 43 of IPL 2021, here on Wednesday.
RR did have a good start in the game after Evin Lewis (58 runs off 37 balls) and Yashasvi Jaiswal (31 off 22) hammered their rivals at will. However, things turned sour for RR as they lost nine wickets for just 72 runs.
After sent in to bat first, RR openers took their time to get going with the first two overs by George Garton and Mohammed Siraj yielded just eight runs. However, RCB captain Virat Kohli's decision to introduce spin early in Glenn Maxwell backfired as Jaiswal clobbered him for a 96-meter six over mid-wicket before Lewis cut a shorter one through backward point for a boundary.
On Garton's return, Lewis hammered two sixes and a boundary to take Rajasthan's tally to 39/0 in four overs. Lewis then smashed a six and a four against Harshal Patel as RR reached 56/0 by the end of powerplay.
Breakthrough for RCB didn't come until the 9th over as Dan Christian dismissed Jaiswal for 31 after a 77-run partnership between the duo.
Lewis, meanwhile, continued scoring and reached his third IPL career fifty in 31 balls, laced with four boundaries and three sixes, taking RR's tally to near 100-run mark.
Lewis eventually became Garton's maiden IPL wicket, bringing Mahipal Lomror on the crease to join in with skipper Sanju Samson.
Things only turned worse for RR as three big wickets fell in space of four runs, leaving the side reeling at 117/4.
Chahal first had Lomror (3 off 4) stumped after the southpaw charged down the track but missed the ball completely. Shahbaz Ahmed then struck twice in the next over with the wickets Samson (19 off 15) and Rahul Tewatia (2 off 3).
RR never managed to recover from the middle-order collapse with the tailenders adding 32 runs in remaining seven overs to take the total to 149.
RR lost as many as nine wickets with the last four of the three wickets falling to purple cap holder Harshal Patel after Yuzvendra Chahal removed Liam Livingstone for 6 (9).
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