In the TATA IPL 2024, Royal Challengers Bengaluru achieved their first victory by defeating Punjab Kings by wickets at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium, with the help of Virat Kohli’s dominant 77 runs off 49 balls.

After being given a lifeline on the second ball of the innings, Kohli capitalized on PBKS’ mistake and displayed some impressive strokeplay to lay the foundation for his team. The contributions of Dinesh Karthik (28 off 10) and Impact Player Mahipal Lomror (17 off 8) in the final moments were crucial, as they formed an unbeaten partnership of 48 runs in just 18 balls, ultimately leading RCB to successfully chase down 177 runs in the final over.

Previously, the home team was able to limit PBKS to 176/6 with a well-organized bowling performance.

RCB had a lucky start in their pursuit of 177 runs, as Jonny Bairstow missed a catch at slip from Curran’s second delivery to Virat Kohli. Kohli then added insult to injury by hitting three boundaries in the same over, bringing the first over’s score to 16.

In the Powerplay, Kohli displayed his versatility with some impressive shots. However, RCB suffered two losses as Kagiso Rabada dismissed Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green. Kohli contributed 35 runs to the team’s total of 50/2 at the end of the Powerplay.

The PBKS team managed to regain control with their well-controlled bowling performance. Both Kohli and Patidar managed to hit a six each against Chahar, increasing the pace of the game. Kohli reached his fifty in just 31 balls, but Patidar’s departure in the following over, as he tried to speed up, resulted in him being dismissed by Harpreet Brar.

In the 12th over, Kohli hit a six and a four against Harshal, resulting in 15 runs. However, Brar delivered a significant blow by dismissing Maxwell in the following over. PBKS maintained pressure in the middle overs with Brar and Rabada’s impressive spells of 2/13 and 2/23, respectively.

Kohli managed to hit two strong fours off Harshal with 59 runs needed in 30 balls. However, the PBKS pacer quickly recovered and took Kohli’s wicket at third man on the final ball of the over, marking a crucial moment in the game. This event was followed by another when Curran successfully trapped Anuj Rawat and got him out LBW.

In the match between RCB and their opponent, Mahipal Lomror was chosen as the Impact Player to replace Yash Dayal. As the game reached a crucial point with 47 runs needed from 22 balls, Lomror and Karthik collaborated to score 37 runs in just 16 balls, reducing the target to 10 runs in the final over.

In an impressive display, Karthik began the last over by hitting a six over fine leg from Arshdeep’s first delivery. However, under pressure, Arshdeep’s next ball was a WIDE. With only 3 runs required off 5 balls, Karthik confidently struck a boundary down the ground to secure victory.

The toss was won by Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis, who then chose to field first.

In the beginning, the team playing at their home ground had a satisfactory beginning as they quickly got rid of Jonny Birstow and limited PBKS to 40/1 during the initial six overs. Siraj was the first to take a wicket as he made a strong comeback and dismissed Bairstow, who had previously hit two consecutive fours off the RCB bowler.

Shikhar Dhawan, the captain, displayed promising form as he and Prabhsimran Singh combined carefulness and assertiveness to put up 55 runs in 38 balls. However, RCB’s decision to bring in Glenn Maxwell proved to be timely as it resulted in a wicket. Prabhsimran’s pull shot was top-edged and the keeper seized the opportunity without any error. This was yet another instance of an RCB bowler making a strong comeback after being hit for a six in the previous delivery.

Glenn Maxwell has emerged victorious against Prabhsimran Singh in an intense battle! 🙌

Watch the live match on JioCinema and StarSportsIndia. Don’t miss out on the excitement of #TATAIPL and #RCBvPBKS. Join @Gmaxi_32 and stay updated with the action. 🔥

IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) announced the win on Twitter on March 25, 2024 with a link to the match coverage. 🔥

Upon his arrival at the crease, Liam Livingstone attempted to increase the pace, but Alzarri Joseph delivered an exceptional 12th over which created pressure and resulted in Livingstone being caught behind. In the following over, PBKS suffered a big setback as Maxwell dismissed the set Dhawan (45 off 37) with a catch at long off, making it two wickets in two balls for the home team. The next few overs were a mix of success and struggle for PBKS as they were unable to accelerate as desired. However, Yash Dayal provided a crucial breakthrough by having Curran caught out by a sharp bouncer, with Anuj Rawat making an impressive leaping catch. RCB claimed another important wicket in the next over as Siraj bowled out Jitesh Sharma (27 off 20) with a well-executed bouncer. Siraj’s final two overs were exceptional, with only eight runs conceded and a wicket taken.

In the final over, Shashank Singh delivered a crucial surge, hitting two sixes and a four against Joseph to add 20 runs to PBKS’ total of 176/6. To begin the second innings, PBKS substituted Prabhsimran Singh with their Impact Player, Arshdeep Singh.

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