In the first innings of match 36th IPL 2023 on Wednesday, April 26, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) scored an imposing total of 200/5 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The RCB captain, Virat Kohli, chose to field first after winning the toss at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. Jason Roy contributed a scintillating half-century (56) at a brisk pace, providing KKR with a flying start. However, RCB pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak put a brake on their momentum by dismissing both KKR openers in the 10th over, after a solid 83-run opening partnership.
Despite creating several opportunities, RCB’s fielding was below par, and they missed several chances, including dropping KKR captain Nitish Rana on multiple occasions. Rana capitalized on the chances and hammered 48 runs off 21 balls, giving his team the impetus they needed heading into the death overs. Rinku Singh (18*) and David Wiese (12*) also chipped in with crucial contributions to help KKR reach the 200-run mark.
The RCB fans expressed their disappointment at their team’s poor fielding effort on Twitter. Here are some of the top reactions to the game.
RCB Bowler Vijaykumar Vyshak: “The wicket is pretty flat and it is a batter’s game”
Vijaykumar Vyshak, the medium-pacer for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, had an excellent performance against the Kolkata Knight Riders, claiming two wickets while conceding 41 runs in his four overs. The 26-year-old played a pivotal role in providing crucial breakthroughs by dismissing KKR’s opening batsmen Jason Roy and N Jagadeesan. During the mid-innings break,
Vyshak said, “The wicket is pretty flat and it is a batter’s game. I think we have done a good job. I think 200 will be chaseable. It is a pretty flat wicket and the ball is coming on nicely. The way we have been batting, it is game on for us.”
The bowler hailing from Bangalore employed his variations to great effect, keeping the opposition batters on their toes and eventually picking up his wickets. He dismissed N Jagadeesan with a well-executed slower bouncer before outsmarting Jason Roy with a leg-stump yorker to send him back to the pavilion.He further said,
“I have just been focussing on my strengths and this [slower ball] is my strength. Coaches have been telling me to back my strength. I have been working hard with my bowling coach, trying to make the batter guess every ball. I loved that ball [to dismiss Roy].”
RCB’s pursuit of their fifth victory of the season did not begin well as they had a shaky start. The team managed to reach a score of 106/3 in 11 overs in their chase. However, RCB skipper Virat Kohli scored his fourth half-century of the season, providing some stability to the innings Unfortunately, lost the match by 21 runs.
