Royal Challengers Bangalore all-rounder Micael Bracewell heaped praise on RCB's top three batters as they registered a mammoth 112-run victory against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 match at the Sawai Mansingh Indoor Stadium on Sunday.
Half-centuries from RCB skipper Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell set the tone of the game when RCB lost the wicket of Virat Kohli after the end of the powerplay. Anuj Rawat came in at the end to finish the first innings on a high note with his explosive unbeaten knock of 29(11)*. "A lot of credit goes to the top three batters who set the tone for us. It was nice to get those two points, very valuable in the competition. Was nice to contribute in the win. We have a great support staff at RCB, just feel a part of it (even when you are not playing matches). It was a difficult wicket to get going. The way he (Rawat) batted, he gave us a lot of momentum going into the second innings," Bracewell said after the match. RCB flourished with the ball as well and Bracewell was at the heart of it. After the pacers provided the ideal start, he came in the middle overs to keep RCB in the driver's seat by picking up two crucial wickets of Devdutt Padikkal and Dhruv Jurel. Bracewell revealed what worked for him and what is next for RCB. "I got a little lucky today, that's the nature of T20 cricket. I try and not get caught up with the highs and lows of the game. There were a couple of niggles in the squad, so the others got a chance. There are two must-win games for us, as a group we strive under this pressure. We were fortunate enough to get those two points, now looking forward to the next games," Bracewell concluded. Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell's half-centuries powered RCB to end the first innings with a score of 171/5. While chasing a target of 172, RR batters failed to deal with the intensity and aggression of the RCB bowlers. Mohammed Siraj set the tone of the game as he dismissed in-form batter Yashasvi Jaiswal for a two-ball duck. Jos Buttler's poor run with the bat continued as he followed the footsteps of his partner for a score of a two-ball duck. Sanju Samson and Joe Root tried to bring the hosts back into the game but they failed to achieve it. RR skipper Samson played a half-committed shot which went straight into the hands of Anuj Rawat. After facing 10 balls, RR had lost their three batters for a score of 7. As Buttler and Samson became the victims of Parnell, the middle-order battlers were left with too much to do in the next 18 overs. RR were on the brink of registering the lowest score in the history of IPL against the team which holds the unwanted record. The West Indian batter made sure to avoid such as he struck three consecutive sixes in Karan Sharma's over. Hetmyer couldn't keep up the momentum as he was dismissed by Glenn Maxwell for a score of 35(19). After his dismissal, RR ended up losing both of their wickets in the 11th over of the game. They ended their innings with a score of 59/10. (ANI)
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