KKR school RCB at Chinnaswamy

Mohammed Rumman Khan | NT

Bengaluru: The clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium marked the beginning of a rivalry dating back to 2008, when Brendon McCullum's sensational 158 set the IPL's inaugural match on fire.

Over the years, these teams have been at the center of both some iconic and contentious moments in tournament history, and fans anticipated nothing less this time.

However, the match turned out to be a one-sided affair, with KKR dominating RCB and securing a nine-wicket victory.

Expectations were high among spectators for a heated contest, yet Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli surprised everyone by burying the hatchet before the match, sharing a warm embrace.

Despite the frosty history between the two players, their display of sportsmanship temporarily laid to rest any animosity.

Sunil Gavaskar humorously remarked during commentary that they deserved an Oscar for their act of reconciliation. RCB set a challenging target of 182/6, led by Virat Kohli's unbeaten 83 off 59 balls.

Contributions from Cameron Green (33 off 21) and Glenn Maxwell (28 off 19) supplemented Kohli's innings, with Dinesh Karthik's typical late flourish adding weight to the total.

The first blow for RCB came as Faf du Plessis, struggling for form, perished attempting a reverse scoop off Harshit Rana.

Andre Russell then dismissed Cameron Green, leaving Kohli to hold the fort for his team. KKR's chase began aggressively, with Venkatesh scoring 50 off 30 balls, Sunil Narine reaching 47 off 22 balls in his 500th T20 match, and Phil Salt contributing 30 off 20 balls in a blitzkrieg fashion.

Salt initiated the onslaught by smashing Mohammed Siraj for 18 runs in the opening over, while Narine continued the assault with two sixes off Joseph and a flurry of boundaries off Dayal.

However, the damage had been done. Spectators, numbering around 33,000, slowly started leaving the stadium, sensing a heavy defeat looming over RCB.

Disheartened by their team's performance, the crowd began to thin out as KKR's dominance became evident.

Despite a slight dip in the pitch's pace, KKR's batsmen remained undeterred, reaching the target in just 16.5 overs.

Venkatesh, aiming for a resurgence in white-ball cricket, partnered with skipper Shreyas Iyer (39*) to steer KKR to victory. While the Chinnaswamy surface showed signs of sluggishness, RCB's bowlers failed to capitalise on it, unlike their KKR counterparts.

During the post-match presentation, Faf du Plessis acknowledged that RCB attempted to apply the lessons learned from the first innings, particularly regarding the slower balls gripping the surface.

However, their efforts were hindered by the dew that had settled in. Venkatesh, KKR's top-scorer, noted that batting became easier from at least one end.

If RCB has to turn things around, Virat should increase his strike rate, and along with Faf and Maxwell, others should chip in and play responsibly, taking the weight on their shoulders.

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 182 for 6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohi 83 not out, Cameron Green 33;Andre Russell 2/29). Kolkata Knight Riders: 186 for 3 in 16.5 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 50, Sunil Narine 47, Shreyas Iyer 39 not out;Vijaykumar Vyshak 1/23)