SPORTS

Virat's RCB 1st team to be out of IPL-12

By LAXMI NEGI
May 01, 2019 08:34 IST

IMAGE: Fans waited for the most part of the night for the rain to relent. Photographs: BCCI

Rain had more than a say in Bengaluru, after the Royal Challengers Bangalore versus Rajasthan Royals game was reduced to a 5 overs apiece affair, only to be abandoned.

Royals won the toss and opted to field, but the weather gods delayed the start of the game by 3 hours and 30 minutes.

The fans waited for the most part of the night for the rain to relent. It did, post 11 pm. And after an enthralling few overs, a hat-trick, the rain came down again.

Not an exciting day for cricket.

 

IMAGE: Shreyas Gopal celebrates his hat-trick.

When the game began, Virat Kohli and A B De Villiers started positively and scored 23 runs in Varun Aaron's first over.

But trust Shreyas Gopal to do nothing wrong against the RCB biggies.

The leg-spinner dismissed both Kohli and AB once again and went on to complete the hat-trick with Marcus Stoinis's wicket.

Gopal's magic blew Bangalore's top-order apart and helped RR restrict RCB to 62/7.

Sanju Samson and Liam Livingstone started cautiously, scoring 22 off the first two overs. In the third over Samson changed gears and hit 18 runs.

Kohli brought Yuzvendra Chahal who dismissed Samson on his second delivery.

Then, the umpires were left with no choice but to call the game off due to intermittent rain.

Needing 22 off the final 10 balls, RR were the favourites to pocket two points, but both teams had to share a point each.

RCB become the first team to be eliminated from IPL 2019, while RR's playoff chances hang by a thread.

LAXMI NEGI / Rediff.com

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