The 36th match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) got underway as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went up against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. RCB stand-in skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first. The two-time IPL champions got off to a solid start against the hosts.
KKR openers Jason Roy and Narayan Jagadeesan produced a commanding start, as KKR were 66/0 in the powerplay. The KKR openers were on fire as they made a 50-run partnership in the sixth over. Roy scored a quick half-century, which is his second in the ongoing IPL season. His knock came from just 22 balls, including four boundaries and five maximums.
In the sixth over, the 32-year-old batter targeted Shahbaz Ahmed and smashed four sixes, including a hattrick of maximums. He also finished the power-play session with another maximum. The English batter’s form will be crucial to KKR in the ongoing IPL, as he has quickly established himself as one of their top-class batters.
Jason Roy previously smashed an incredible fifty against the four-time IPL champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last game on April 23 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. He scored 61 runs from 26 deliveries, which included five boundaries and as many sixes.
RCB’s fast bowler Mohammed Siraj helped his side to make a terrific start. However, Wanindu Hasaranga and Shahbaz Ahmed made things difficult for the home side. RCB, however, found a breakthrough, after Vyshak Vijay Kumar came in for the attack. He first picked Jagadeesan’s (27 off 29) wicket in the 10th over and dismissed Roy (56 off 29) in the final ball of the same over.
This is a must-win match for KKR, as they have won only two of their seven matches so far. RCB, on the other hand, also aim for a win to secure their spot in the top four of the IPL 2023 points table.
Here is how Twitter reacted to Jason Roy’s knock against RCB