Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) took a record-breaking beating in the final 10 overs of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) first innings. RCB were clearly missing the services of their slog overs specialist bowler Harshal Patel, who left the bio-bubble after the death of his sister. In the ongoing season, Harshal has taken six wickets from four games. However, he has an excellent economy rate of 5.50 despite bowling towards the end of the innings.
After RCB’s 23-run loss at Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on April 12, Du Plessis expressed that Harshal’s absence hurt them as CSK scored 166 runs in the last 10 overs. A total of 17 sixes were hit in the innings as Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa shared a record-breaking 165-run partnership for the third-wicket.
“You see the value he (Harshal) offers not just to this team but any team. He has got the ability to really stop the game. We missed that tonight. Even towards the end we lacked the variety. Big miss for us, hopefully we will have him back soon again,” the RCB skipper said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
RCB bowlers did well in the first half as CSK were 60/2 after 10 overs. Uthappa and Dube spoiled RCB’s bowling plans by hitting their spinners for big sixes.
“First of all our 7-8 overs were good. Then 8-14 we tried to bring the spinners on and they played really well. Dube taking on the spinners, they took the momentum they carried from 8-14. That partnership speaks for itself,” the former South Africa skipper explained.
In the absence of Harshal, Suyash Prabhudessai made his IPL debut. The middle-order played a cameo of 34 off 18 balls including five fours and one six in the fifth-wicket partnership of 60 runs with Shahbaz Ahmed.
“Impressed by the way the guys coming in on a debut at 5 or 6 and playing like that just shows depth in our bowling. Even though we lost we were only 20 runs short on a total we should have been blown out of order and that is impressive,” the RCB opener lauded the debutant.
RCB now have won three games out of five and are placed fifth on the points table with a barely positive net run rate (NRR). They will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in their next encounter on April 16.
