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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Rajat Patidar and all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer guided the defending champions above 200 while batting first against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 16th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 on Friday at Guwahati.
In a match that faced a delayed start due to rain, Royal Challengers Bengaluru overcame a disastrous start to post a formidable total of 201/8 in their 20 overs against the Rajasthan Royals. Captain Rajat Patidar's (63 runs off 40 balls) half-century and a late flourish from Impact Player Venkatesh Iyer (29* runs off 15 balls) ensured the visitors set a target of 202. Rajasthan Royals won the toss and opted to bowl first. The decision to bowl first paid immediate dividends. Jofra Archer provided a dream start for the home side, dismissing Phil Salt for a golden duck with the very first ball of the match. The pressure continued as Archer struck again in the 3rd over, removing Devdutt Padikkal (14 off 7). Virat Kohli looked dangerous, racing to 32 off just 16 balls with seven boundaries, but his innings was cut short by Ravi Bishnoi in the 5th over. When Krunal Pandya fell shortly after, RCB were reeling at 62/4 within seven overs. Soon, Jitesh Sharma (5) and Tim David (13) also lost their wickets, with RCB stuttering at 94/6 in the 11 overs. Captain Rajat Patidar took it upon himself to steady the ship. While wickets continued to fall at the other end, Patidar remained composed. He reached his half-century in 35 balls before shifting into a higher gear. The turning point came in the 17th over when Patidar unleashed a brutal assault on Ravi Bishnoi, smashing two consecutive sixes to shift the momentum. His counter-attacking 63, including 4 fours and 4 sixes, breathed life back into the RCB camp before he finally holed out to Sandeep Sharma in the 18th over. Brought in as the impact substitute, Venkatesh Iyer played a crucial cameo to push the score past the 200-run mark. Iyer scored runs in the final over, which yielded 21 runs. His unbeaten 29 off 15 balls, supported by Romario Shepherd's earlier 22, ensured RCB finished on a high. Rajasthan's bowlers started brilliantly but struggled to contain the flow of runs in the death overs. Jofra Archer (2/33 in 3 overs), Ravi Bishnoi (2/32 in 4 overs), and Brijesh Sharma (2/37 in 4 overs) were the pick of the bowlers. (ANI)
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