AI Simulation, IPL 2025 | Chase master Kohli takes RCB on brink of top-two confirmation with SRH demolition

Yesterday at 10:09 PM

Virat Kohli's 74 ensured RCB a comfortable win over SRH at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow

As per Articificial Intelligence, Royal Challengers Bengaluru are all set to extend their five-match unbeaten streak on Friday by chasing down Sunrisers Hyderabad's 165/9 in Lucknow. Josh Hazlewood's three scalps restricted SRH to a subpar score before Kohli's 74 sealed the win in 18.3 overs.

‌‌Pitch & Weather

The Ekana kept up its reputation as one of the more diffiicult surfaces to plunder run on as patches of grass and a dry deck in general aided spinners to a significant extent as well as pacers boasting an arsenal of slower variations at their disposal. The weather, in sync with recent trends, presented high temperatures nearing 40 degrees Centigrade but low humidity, allowing a full contest to go through without much ado.

Toss & Conditions

Sunrisers Hyderabad won the toss and elected to bat first.

Lineups

RCB: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Mayank Agarwal, Rajat Patidar (c), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Suyash Sharma

SRH: Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), Kamindu Mendis, Aniket Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, Harshal Patel, Harsh Dubey, Eshaan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari

Match Report

Royal Challengers Bengaluru cruised to victory in their penultimate league stage game of the season with their tally of 19 points all but confirming second spot, unless both Punjab Kings and Gujarat Titans winn both their remaining games. Sunrisers Hyderabad, meanwhile, remained in eighth and are assured to finish there if Lucknow Super Giants get the better of Gujarat Titans.

Opting to set a target, Sunrisers Hyderabad got off to a resplendent start with both Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma targetting Bhuvneshwar Kumar to register a spree of early boundaries. By the time the former departed to fellow Aussie Josh Hazlewood in a theatrical over featureal several plays and misses, the damage had been done, and the powerplay score read 55/2 with Josh also cleaning up Ishan Kishan. Abhishek and Heinrich Klaasen set out on the rebuild thereatfer with a commanding half-century stand, the Proteas doing the bul of the scoring with two spinners Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma in operation. However, just when they seemed to have sailed through the challenge, Pandya dispatched the duo in the same over, and SRH suddenly found themselves reeling at 111/4 after 13. The last seven overs netted the Orange Army just a little over 50 runs despite Pat Cummins' late cameo of 17 from nine, as Kamindu Mendis struggled for a rhtyhm and ended on less than a run-a-ball 16 to set RCB 166 to chase.

In response, RCB got off to a brisk start as well with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli combining for over 30 runs within the first three overs. Even though the Englishman could not manage more than 18 runs while Mayank Agarwal's return to RCB colours ended within the powerplay itself, the team was well placed at 61/2 at the end of the powerplay. Rajat Patidar's 18-ball stay allowed Kohli to further explore his shot-making reportoire and by the time the skipper departed, the match was evenly poised with 60-odd required in the final aid. The situation demanded for a Tim David promotion and the finisher duly-delivered, smashing two sixes and three fours in a match-changing cameo of 30 off just 14 balls to put the contest beyond GT's reach. Kohli fell for 74 with the team within touching distance of the finishing line, but Jitseh Sharma scored the winning runs to ensure RCB a comfortable victory.

Player of the Day

Virat Kohli scored a stunning eighth half-century of the season to anchor yet another successful chase for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru, earning the top-order talisman his 20th man of the match honour in the tournament's history and a second in 2025.