RCB registered the win by 4 wicket over Punjab Kings at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium where Dinesh Kartik emerged as the star of the match.
New Delhi, 26 March 2024
In their second IPL 2024 encounter, Royal Challengers Bangalore clinched a dramatic victory over Punjab Kings, securing a nail-biting four-wicket triumph at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Dinesh Karthik emerged as the star of the match, guiding RCB to success with his composed and impactful batting display. The match kicked off with RCB facing a slow start in their pursuit of Punjab Kings’ target of 177 runs. Virat Kohli stood out as the lone warrior in the early stages, crafting a brilliant innings of 77 runs off 49 balls. However, Kohli’s departure in the 16th over left RCB in a precarious position at 130/5.
It appeared that RCB was on the verge of another loss when Dinesh Karthik entered the picture. He didn’t have a good start as he saw his partner Anuj Rawat lose his wicket on the second ball of the 17th over, and the wicketkeeper was replaced by Mahipal Lomror. His inning started with a four. Then, Karthik hit Sam Curran for a four, and the over concluded with two runs. Lomror attacked Arshdeep Singh for a six and four in the 18th over, as the Indian bowler gave 13 runs, bringing the total to 23 off 12 balls. Then, in the 19th over, Harshal Patel let up 13 runs, getting clobbered by Karthik for a four and six.
As the game approached its climax, RCB found themselves needing 10 runs off the final over. Shikhar Dhawan entrusted Arshdeep Singh with the ball, but Karthik remained unfazed. With the RCB dugout on their feet in anticipation, Karthik lofted Arshdeep’s first delivery over the boundary for a six, igniting celebrations among the team. A wide and a boundary off the subsequent deliveries sealed the deal for RCB, clinching a thrilling victory
