IPL 2022: RCB vs PBKS, Highlights: Du Plessis knock in vain as Punjab Kings chase down mammoth target

Mumbai, March 28: New Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper, Faf du Plessis' scintillating knock went in vain as Punjab Kings put up a comprehensive show with the willow to clinch a five-wicket win in a thrilling IPL encounter on Sunday.

Playing in the second match of the season's first double-header, the Punjab batsmen stole the show to comfortably chase down a 200+ score and get their season off to a winning start.

After new PBKS skipper Mayank Agarwal invited RCB to bat, the Challengers posted a daunting 205/2. While skipper Du Plessis led from the front, hitting a 57-ball 88, former skipper Virat Kohli chipped in with a crucial knock off 41 off 29.

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New recruit Dinesh Karthik, took RCB over the 200+ mark with a sizzling unbeaten 32 off 14. But the Punjab Kings batsmen put up a solid display with the willow as they chased down the target with an over to spare.

Though the ask was tough it wasn't an impossible task and with a new skipper at the helm Punjab produced a sensational effort to overhaul the target, scoring 208 for 5 with an entire over to spare.

While Mayank Agarwal (32 off 24) and Shikhar Dhawan (43 off 29) stitched together 71 for the first wicket to lay the foundation for the chase, Sri Lankan recruit Bhanuka Rajapaksa (43 off 22) also shone on his IPL debut. But the Kings suffered a collapse to be down and out at 156 for 5.

Just when the scales were tilted in favour of the Challengers, Shahrukh Khan (24 not out off 20 balls) and Odean Smith (25 not out off 8 balls) joined hands to take the Punjab Kings over the line

The duo shared a 52-run unbroken stand off just 25 balls for the sixth wicket to take the Kings home in their first game of the season. Windies all rounder Smith smashed three sixes and a four off Mohammed Siraj in the 18th over to accumulate 25 runs and bring down the equation to 11 from the final two overs. Shahrukh, who hit one four and two maximums, finished the game with a boundary to hand Mayank Agarwal a winning start to his captaincy tenure.

Earlier, RCB skipper du Plessis and Kohli added 118 runs for the second wicket after the former and Anuj Rawat (21) had laid the foundation with their 50 run-stand. RCB amassed 11 'extra' runs, off the second over off Arshdeep Singh.

Du Plessis got his first boundary in the third, while in the same over, Rawat hit his first maximum, as RCB raced to 23/0. Rawat hit successive boundaries in the sixth over, off Odean Smith. But leg-spinner Rahul Chahar (1/22) cut shot Rawat's stay by cleaning him up in the seventh over. Kohli came in and he took time to settle down.

After successive twos, Kohli's first maximum came in the 10th over as RCB fetched 13 runs off it and at 70/1, the foundation was laid for a big total. The former South Africa skipper, who got a 'life', made optimum use of it and then upped the ante, as the carnage started from the 12th over when he hammered a towering six off Liam Livingstone.

Du Plessis was brutal on Odean Smith, whom he hammered for a boundary and two successive sixes. He followed it up with two sixes off Harpreet Brar (0/38). Kohli, who hit a four and two sixes, was also in his elements, as he played shots at will. He, however, played second fiddle to Du Plessis when the South African was in full flow. Du Plessis was dismissed in the 18th over, but by then the damage had been done.

A quick-fire 32 from Karthik off just 14 balls, in which he smashed three sixes and as many fours, took RCB beyond the 200-run mark.

Despite his brutal knock, du Plessis began his captaincy on a losing note. RCB will next take on the Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday (March 30). On the other hand, PBKS will also take on the Knight Riders in their next fixture on Friday (April 1).

(With inputs from PTI)