As it happened - SRH vs RCB - Patidar, Swapnil, Karn take Royal Challengers Bengaluru past Sunrisers Hyderabad

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) rode on the success of their spinners - considered the team's least-fancied department - to force big-hitting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) into submission in Hyderabad. Their 35-run victory on Thursday, the season's second for RCB, also ended their six-game losing streak and kept them alive for playoff contention.

Favourites to chase down 207 down, SRH lost their way right from the opening over when part-time offspinner Will Jacks won the tactical battle against left-hand batting to dismiss Travis Head. Debutant Swapnil Singh and experienced wristspinner Karn Sharma then caused further damage. By the time the tenth over rolled along, SRH were 85 for 6, and the result was pretty much decided.

RCB also had a strong day with the bat, banking on Rajat Patidar's 19-ball half-century and quick-fire cameos from Cameron Green and Faf du Plessis. Virat Kohli also scored his 53rd IPL fifty, but his 51 in 43 balls came at a strike-rate of 118.60, following a big slowdown.

47 needed off 10, so you expect this game to have been decided already.

Shahbaz in his thirties bats alongside Unadkat now as we approach the closing stages.

RCB few deliveries away from winning their second game.

Swapnil and Karn have been among the wickets but Pat Cummins opts to take them on nonetheless. Crunches four sixes off the pair to race away to 31 in 14 balls, but Cameron Green's short ball ends his stay.

More trouble for SRH as Nitish Kr Reddy falls prey reverse sweeping Karn Sharma. SRH have lost half their side already with Shahbaz Ahmed and Abdul Samad together now. They can't use any more impact player since Travis Head took that position when he replaced Natarajan.

SRH 85/5 in 9 overs as we take a time out.

Which becomes 86/6 as Karn removes Samad right after.

RCB made the strategic move to bring in slow left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh in the 19th over of the first innings. His 6-ball 12 sure did add some impetus to the RCB batting total but his contribution with the ball is what's got RCB holding all the aces now.

In the space of seven deliveries, he gets Aiden Markram LBW and follows it up with Heinrich Klaasen's wicket. RCB wouldn't mind that the over went for 19. Neither would Swapnil, who has a dream opening over on IPL debut with two scalps. He was previously with Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians but never got a game before.

After clattering 31 in 12 balls with three sixes and two fours, the dangerous Abhishek departs as he miscues Yash Dayal high up.

This is brilliant from RCB because SRH added 74 runs per wicket (in IPL 2024) in the powerplay before this game. Dayal gets his eighth of the season, and could've added a ninth had he held on to a tough chance from Nitish Kr Reddy.

RCB open the bowling with offspinner Will Jacks to offset the two left-handed SRH openers.

And the plan works marvelously after he keeps the ball on a stump to stump line for most of the over.Three singles, two dots, and one wicket! Head out cheaply in a quiet first over. Double bonus for RCB.

RCB would be moderately happy getting to 206, but disappointed finishing there after scoring 51 in the powerplay.

Virat Kohli slowed down from 23 in 11 (SR 209) balls to eventually make only 51 in 43 (SR 118.7)

Faf du Plessis' dazzling innings of 25 was too short.

Will Jacks, Mahipal Lomror didn't do much. DK couldn't either.

Rajat Patidar's 20-ball fifty and Cameron Green's unbeaten 37 ensured RCB managed to cross 200.

RCB's innings breakdown:
1-6 overs: 51/1
6-15: 81/3
16-20 64/3
Final score 206 for 7

They did well after conceding 61 in the powerplay. Cummins used five bowlers in his first five overs and eventually used seven in all.

After spotting Shahbaz Ahmed bowling well, he gave the left-arm spinner three overs (economy of 4.66) even if it meant Bhuvneshwar Kumar would bowl just one over.

He also saw Jaydev Unadkat using his variations well so gave him his full quota. And T Natarajan continues to impress in IPL 2024, conceding only 9.75 per over despite needing to bowl two overs at the death. For Cummins personally, though, it was a disappointing evening, conceding 55.

RCB were searching for a big over at the death, and it has come in the 19th bowled by Pat Cummins.

Countryman Cameron Green smacks a few boundaries, and DK follows with another too. But Cummins gets DK out for 11 eventually, however, that's after the SRH captain has crossed his half-century with the ball.

Allrounder Swapnil Singh (impact player for Patidar) walks in next as Cummins ends his day with figures of 4-0-55-1.

On his 100th IPL game, Unadkat returns figures of 4-0-30-3.

Just see his pitch mapping tonight. Consciously not bowling full, instead bowling cutters into the pitch, forcing batters to play across the line or square on the off side.

Kohli in the powerplay: 18 balls, 32 runs (SR 178)
Kohli after the powerplay: 25 balls, 19 runs (SR 79).

And he falls trying to drag Unadkat's slower-ball bouncer over the leg side. RCB stagnating now after the Patidar dismissal. Cameron Green hasn't yet got going (5 off 5) and they haven't sent in DK at No. 6 either. Mahipal Lomror joins Green but has a spunky start with a flurry of boundaries.

RCB 157/4 in 16 overs after Cummins concedes 17.

Virat Kohli becomes the first batter to score 400+ runs in 10 or more IPL seasons. Got there today with his fourth 50+ score of the season.

This is now four games in a row where Virat Kohli has got a fifty in Hyderabad.

Last time he played SRH here, he scored a 63-ball century in May 2023. Before that he scored 63 against Australia in 2023 and 94* against West Indies in 2019. Gets there in 37 balls tonight.

All thanks to Patidar, with Markande having to bear it.

Kohli has slowed down but not in a way where he's been struggling. He has just handed Patidar the strike with singles and Patidar has responded beautifully. Patidar gets to fifty in 19 deliveries but falls next ball to Jaydev Unadkat.

Rajat Patidar may not have great numbers against pace but he sure does make up for it with his spin hitting. After hitting Markande for a six in the ninth over, he has now proceeded to smack him in the 11th for four sixes in a row!

His IPL 2024 split before this match was:

vs pace: 66 runs, 52 balls, 5 wickets, average 13, SR 126
vs spin: 95 runs, 48 balls, 2 wickets, average 47, SR 197

Will Jacks premeditates and attempts to play a sweep in a bid to up his scoring rate.

But Mayank Markande bowls a ball verrrry slow, which dips in front of the batter, bounces over his swinging blade coming across the line, and then knocks off stump back. A delightful wristspinner's wicket.

Kohli, though, wearing the orange cap right now, is 36 in 24. RCB 73/2 in eight overs with Patidar joining him.

Over 1, Abhishek: 10 runs (1 four)
Over 2, Bhuvneshwar: 14 runs (3 fours)
Over 3, Cummins: 19 (1 six, 2 fours)
Over 4, Natarajan: 6 runs (1 four, 1 wicket)
Over 5, Shahbaz: 2 runs

RCB 51/1 in five overs. Cummins is not giving Kohli and Faf/Will Jacks an opportunity to settle against any one bowler.

Apart from Bhuvneshwar (4 dismissals) no other SRH bowler has dismissed Kohli more than once despite playing a lot of games against the likes of Cummins, Natarajan, Unadkat.

But SRH don't start with Bhuvi. Left-arm spinner instead Abhishek Sharma for the first over and he concedes 10. When Bhuvneshwar comes for the second over, it is du Plessis who takes him down three fours. Cummins then replaces Abhishek, but the hammering continues from both batters.

RCB 43/0 in three overs with 19 coming off the captain.

So RCB have decided to put on a score. SRH batting first have been a mean machine, so today we shall see how they do chasing a target. In IPL 2024, SRH have won 1 game (CSK) and lost 1 game (KKR) chasing.

RCB are unchanged. And Jaydev Unadkat will make his 100th IPL appearance today, replacing Washington Sundar at SRH.

ALSO READ: The good man Pattie and the scoundrel Cummins