The Kolkata Knight Riders continued their IPL dominance with a convincing win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru, securing their second consecutive victory this season.
RCB's initial total of 182 appeared promising, especially considering the difficulty faced by KKR batsmen against the slower balls later in the innings.
The KKR bowlers, particularly Andre Russell and Harshit Rana, capitalised brilliantly with their cutters, effectively dismantling the RCB chase.
While Vyshak Vijaykumar showcased promise with his bowling spell, it wasn't enough to prevent RCB from a crushing defeat.
The bowlers who bowled the best spell in Bengaluru on Friday, March 29, 2024:
Andre Russell
Russell proved his bowling prowess once again, showcasing the effectiveness of slower deliveries on this particular pitch. His execution was on point, prompting his fellow bowlers to adopt a similar strategy.
In a dominant spell, Russell claimed two crucial wickets. First, he sent Cameron Green packing in the 9th over. The promising partnership between Green and Virat Kohli was abruptly halted by Russell's guile. Green's attempted pull shot finding only his stumps.
Russell's dominance continued in the 17th over in spectacular fashion. A full toss on the pads to Rajat Patidar forced a mistimed slog, resulting in a simple catch for Rinku Singh at deep midwicket.
Russell's wickets not only dented RCB's batting but also boosted KKR's morale, tightening their grip on the match.
Harshit Rana
RCB's innings got off to a shaky start as Skipper Faf du Plessis fell victim to an attempted scoop shot off pacer Harshit Rana.
The ball found Mitchell Starc's safe hands within the circle, putting RCB on the back foot early.
This early dismissal set the tone for the rest of the innings. RCB's scoring rate plummeted after the Powerplay, with the KKR bowlers exploiting the conditions with their cutters.
Harshit Rana, in particular, proved highly effective. He struck again in the 18th over, dismissing Anuj Rawat with a well-directed offcutter.
Rawat miscued a shot looking to go over the off-side, finding Phil Salt's gloves for a simple catch behind the wicket which saw him departing for a mere 3 runs off 3 deliveries.
The crafty bowling spells from Rana effectively stifled RCB's momentum and made their chase a much tougher task.
Vijaykumar Vyshak
Surprise substitute Vijaykumar Vyshak justified his selection with a crafty display. His use of cutters, mirroring Andre Russell's earlier success, proved highly effective on this pitch.
Vyshak's variety in skills highlighted the value of a diverse bowling attack, something RCB capitalised on.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing for RCB's bowling attack. Established names like Mohammed Siraj and Alzarri Joseph leaked runs, leaving Captain Faf with a vulnerable bowling unit.
Vyshak dismissed KKR Opener Phil Salt in the 8th over. Salt's miscued pull shot off a Vyshak in-swinger found Green at deep square leg, giving RCB a much needed breakthrough.
KKR Vs RCB: Who Bowled Best?
