Kishan, SRH quicks dent RCB's chances of a top-two finish
RCB lost 7 for 16 in the last 25 balls to go down by 42 runs and see their NRR slip below Punjab Kings'
RCB lost 7 for 16 in the last 25 balls to go down by 42 runs and see their NRR slip below Punjab Kings'
Scorer: @Thilak_Rama | Commentator: @himanshu_a30
The loss dents RCB's hopes of a top-two finish. Kishan and SRH's quicks ensure it's not easy for RCB, even as SRH themselves were eliminated long back. Here's Sidharth Monga's report from tonight, as we bid goodbye. No matter the playoffs spots getting finalised, the competition is still on. Join us tomorrow for further action, though. Until then, it's goodnight!
Ishan Kishan is the Player of the Match: "It's important to just watch the ball and play your game. The moment I saw Abhishek and Travis Head starting the game like that, I knew it was a very good track... I was just thinking about playing those good shots. Plan was very simple. Not so happy with the performance overall; I could have done so much better. It's a game of learning. You have to keep working hard."
Pat Cummins: "Little bit too season. Good effort with bat and ball. Nitish is back bowling. Abhishek's always telling me [to bowl]. Kishan got us to 230 rather than 200. We actually probably misread the wicket. We thought it was a 170 wicket... You've played enough to see anything can happen. Normally, if someone hits a six, it's either a good shot or a bad shot. [Malinga] has been a real find this season."
Time for the presentations
Jaydev Unadkat: "Probably one of the best wickets to bat throughout the tournament. We were expecting it in Hyderabad, but we didn't get it there. Had to break momentum, and the way to do it is by mixing up the pace. That's the key - Cummins was calm, and the message was to remain tight in the field. The message was to try and make things happen. The bowlers were spot on. That's how the game goes - one over, and Malinga did everything. It was quite clear that it was a good track to bat on. So we had to execute the yorkers. The bowlers did a really good job."
Jitesh Sharma: "I think it was 20-30 runs extra. They played very well. I didn't have any answers for their attack. We were rusty. The intensity was not there initially... In the death, we were bowling more accurately. Right now, I haven't met David because I was upset I got out. Sometimes losing a game is a very good sign because you can check and analyse. The positive things are that everyone's chipping in. After this loss, we've got a setback to check [things] again. We'll move forward."
11.34pm At one stage, RCB needed another 69 runs to win off 36 balls. They had seven wickets remaining, with two set batters at the crease. Who knew, then, that SRH would trigger a collapse of 7 for 26 off the next 35 deliveries? You give it to the batting side on almost all days - even if one of their finishers wasn't fit - but Reddy and Malinga executed when it mattered. The ball swung into the batters, and the attempted yorkers landed right. Salt and Kohli's knocks go in vain, but RCB will take a lesson or two from this game.
Yash Dayal c Verma b Patel 3 (9m 6b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50
Harshal will bowl the final over
Rajat Patidar was pulled up even though Jitesh Sharma was RCB's stand-in captain on Friday against SRH
"I think we'll always be aggressive and always be positive but we'll always try to be smart as well," says assistant coach Simon Helmot of SRH's batting approach
"The good thing for RCB is that they will play the last game and they will know exactly where they stand and what they need to do," Anil Kumble says
Injuries to key players, departures of overseas players for national duty, and the break in momentum - they were playing a game after 20 days - contributed to RCB's nosedive against SRH
RCB lost 7 for 16 in the last 25 balls to go down by 42 runs and see their NRR slip below Punjab Kings'