PBKS power-hitting overshadows Faf's brilliance

The Punjab Kings (PBKS) defeated the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the third game of the 2022 Indian Premier League (IPL). The match was played in the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. Odean Smith was adjudged to be the Man of the Match.

Captain Faftastic

When RCB entered the player auction earlier this year, they may have had half a mind on finding a new captain, with Virat Kohli announcing his decision to resign as captain after the 2021 season. RCB fought hard for Faf du Plessis, and it was almost certain that he would be assigned the role.

du Plessis’ captaincy got off to a slow, shaky start. With each passing ball, du Plessis’ strike rate seemed to be dipping, and drastically at that. At the halfway mark, he had managed to scrape to 17 runs off 30 balls, leaving commentators and fans wondering what was going horribly wrong. However, much like his former captain the other night, du Plessis needed just one ball to break the shackles.

After Virat Kohli joined him at the crease, du Plessis seemed to ease a bit. His running improved as did his timing. Slowly, but steadily, he was finding his rhythm, and before everyone knew it, he scored a flurry of boundaries off Odean Smith. From 17 to 35 to 52 to 88, du Plessis had accelerated superbly in the space of 27 balls and provided the perfect springboard for Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik to accelerate.

Kohli ensures stability

The debate on Virat Kohli’s batting position in the RCB lineup has existed for as long as one can remember. So, when Kohli came in at 3, one could understand that the team wanted a bit more stability than what RCB had in past seasons.

Kohli personally remained unbeaten on 41 off 29 deliveries, a decent outing. Yet, Kohli’s actual impact could be seen in the freedom with which the men he batted with had.

du Plessis, who had been struggling in the first half, found ample scoring opportunities - both in the form of running between the wickets and boundaries. In fact it was Kohli who first took charge of adding some panache, by lofting a magnificent six straight back over Harpreet Brar. After that, du Plessis launched a superb counter, and the two shared a 118-run stand.

Even after du Plessis fell, Kohli rotated strike to ensure Dinesh Karthik, who has a knack of finishing team innings strongly, got enough time on the crease. The plan seemed to work, with Karthik teeing off ever so magnificently, and taking the team total beyond 200.

Openers give PBKS flying start

Coming out to chase 205 is a daunting task for any team, let alone in the first match they play. However, Shikhar Dhawan and Mayank Agarwal seemed to think it was simply another day’s work. PBKS’s new opening pair went at over 10 runs per over, giving a brilliant start to their team.

The pair complemented each other brilliantly; Dhawan’s left-handed elegance and experience matched perfectly with Agarwal’s right-handed flamboyance and youthful exuberance. The rapid opening stand allowed their number three, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, to be aggressive and take on the bowlers as he liked.

Siraj gets two-in-two before lacking discipline in bowling

At the start of the 13th over, PBKS were cruising. Rajapaksa and Liam Livingstone had continued from where their openers had left off, and the run rate was well over 10 per over. However, Mohammed Siraj struck with back-to-back wickets, those of Rajapaksa and Raj Bawa, and once again RCB had their noses in front. When Akash Deep got rid of Livingstone as well, the game seemed to be going out of PBKS’s hands.

However, the lower order and designated finishers, Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith backed themselves from there on out. It further did not help Bangalore’s cause when Siraj and Harshal Patel gave away far too many wides and extras. The power hitters seized the opportunity with each extra ball, taking massive strides forward, both figuratively and literally. Eventually, PBKS chased down the total with an over to spare.