RCB score 176/7 against KKR in 3rd match of IPL 2018

Speed Post News Network

Patna : Asked to bat first by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) who won the toos, Royal Challenger Bangalore (RCB) scored 176/7 in 20 overs at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in the third match of IPL 2018 on April 8, 2018, night, riding on 44 in 23 balls with 1 four and 5 sixes by their South African star A B de Villiers and 43 in 27 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes by New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum.

RCB captain Virat Kohli scored 31 in 33 balls with 1 four and 1 six. Mandeep Singh made 37 in 18 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes. South African Quinton de Kock, wicketheeer, departed for only 4 while talent Sarfraz Khan was out for only 6.

RCB were 127/2 after 14 overs and were looking set for a score of 200 plus with de Villiers in explosive form. But, suddenly KKR captain Dinesh Kartik, in an astute move, handed the ball over to Nitish Rana, a batsman who can bowl off breaks, in the 15th over. Rana turned the table on RCB taking the wickets of Virat Kohli and de Villiers on his second and third ball and was even on a hattrick. The departure of de Villers and Kohli slowed down the rate of RCB scoring. Both of then fell with the team score reading 127. Rana played for MI in 2017 and had done very well.

For KKR, Vinay Kumar took 2/30 in two overs while Nitish Rana took 2/11 in one over. Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, and Mitchell Johnson took one wicket each.

KKR were 12/0 in one over with Sunil Narine batting on 11 and Chris Lynn on 1.