Friday, 13 May 2022
Two Englishmen destroyed the bowling arsenal of Royal Challengers Bangalore. It was Jonny Bairstow in the beginning and Liam Livingstone giving it the finishing touch. Punjab Kings scored mammoth total of 209 runs because of these men who took aggressive route to ensure Punjab Kings’s victory.
This is RCB’s fifth defeat against Punjab in their last 6 encounters. On the other hand, if RCB had won today, the playoff journey would have been very difficult for Punjab Kings. Things are not easy not only for Punjab but also for Rajasthan Royals, Delhi Capitals, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kolkata Knight Riders.
RCB remained on the back foot in the match with a half-century from Liam Livingstone (70) after an aggressive start by Jonny Bairstow’s 66 off 29 balls with seven sixes and four fours. Punjab Kings’ innings was studded with 14 sixes and 16 fours, in which 148 runs were made only from the boundary. Despite the brilliant batting of Bairstow and Livingstone (42 balls, five fours, four sixes), Wanindu Hasaranga bowled brilliantly in the middle overs and Harshal Patel in the death overs for RCB. Hasaranga took two wickets for just 15 runs in four overs.