Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) initiated their IPL season with a one-sided 7-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Pursuing 175, RCB drew strength from half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Phil Salt, who laid the foundation through a perfect partnership. Captain Rajat Patidar chipped in with a rapid cameo before Liam Livingstone completed the task with a boundary-scramble, wrapping up the game with ease.
Earlier, while deciding to bowl first, RCB’s bowlers produced a disciplined display. Krunal Pandya was the chief destroyer with 3/29, while Josh Hazlewood contributed two vital wickets in order to limit KKR to 174/8. In spite of a blistering beginning by KKR’s Ajinkya Rahane, who hit a 25-ball half-century on his captaincy debut and put on a century partnership with Sunil Narine, the momentum was in favor of RCB in the middle overs as their part-timers wound it up.
Going into this season, the champions KKR and last season’s playoff team RCB have both overhauled their teams after the mega auction. A lot will be expected of Venkatesh Iyer, whose big price has set expectations soaring. While Iyer has won matches for the team in the past, this season, every performance will be under the scanner.
For RCB, though Virat Kohli is still the marquee name, attention is also on their English brigade. Though struggling in international cricket of late, their capacity to turn games around on their own might prove decisive. RCB’s fortunes in this season could well rest on this nucleus coming back into their best form.
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