This was by far the best game of this year's IPL. Nearly every other game was decided before the last ball was bowled. However, in this case, with 4 runs required off the penultimate ball, anything could have happened.
And it did: RCB won the game as they conceded only 2 runs off it.
Batting first, an AB de Villiers inspired Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a competitive score of 175. Kings XI Punjab started off incredibly well with Murali Vijay giving them a dream start. At one point, they were running away with the game. However, a magical spell by Shane Watson stopped them in their tracks.
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In this thriller, there were plenty of memorable moments that don't fade away, quite like the Axe Signature range of body perfumes. Here are the top 5:
1) Lokesh Rahul makes case for team India spot
MS Dhoni has already retired from Tests and it is only a matter of time before he calls it a day in the limited overs. And it seems like an already-apt replacement waiting on the wings as Lokesh Rahul has been a revelation in this year’s IPL.
Continuing his good form, he even overshadowed last game’s centurion, Virat Kohli, with a magnificent innings against Punjab.
He scored a 25-ball 42 to get the Challengers’ innings off the track. However, his innings was outdone by…
2) De Villiers' fury
Oh, my God. That is how everyone reacts when AB de Villiers is at his bloody best. And today was just one of those days.
A rare Virat Kohli failure at the top meant that the responsibility for AB de Villiers to do well increased by a huge margin. And he delivered.
At a time when Royal Challengers Bangalore needed to up their run rate, the South African beast came in and showed how it is done by scoring 64 runs in just 35 balls. His innings not only consisted of boundaries, but also hardworking singles and doubles which kept the scoreboard ticking.
3) Cariappa does well
After a disappointing time with KKR, who signed him for a huge price, he seems to have found a new lease of life at Kings XI Punjab.
The 20-year-old leg-spinner first appeared on the radar after his fine performances in the Karnataka Premier League. His season with the Knight Riders didn’t turn out too well, but he seems to be fulfilling the promise with the Kings.
In the 3 overs that he bowled yesterday, he gave away only 16 runs while taking 2 wickets in the process.
4) Murali Vijay leads from the front
Ever since he has taken over the leadership mantle from David Miller, Punjab have looked like a rejuvenated team. While they might be almost out of the tournament, Punjab can count on their opener to get them to a better place this season and it also bodes well for next year.
With 175 to chase, Murali Vijay came in with only one intent: attack his way through to the target.
And he did just that. He faced 57 balls and scored 89 runs to almost win the game for his team. However, his onslaught came to an end at the hands of Shane Watson. A wicket that won RCB the game in the end.
5) Shane Watson the X-Factor
When Shane Watson was signed for a huge sum, many thought that RCB should have spent the money on a world class bowler rather than spending it on a world class all rounder.
However, what they forgot is that a world class all-rounder is still a world-class bowler—and Shane Watson proved that yesterday with his spellbinding bowling spell that ultimately won Royal Challengers the game.
He might have got only 2 wickets, but his 4 overs bled only 22 runs and took the crucial wicket of Murali Vijay—who was running away with the game at one point.
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