IPL 2022: Punjab chase down massive target to make winning start

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 28 : Punjab Kings scored 208/5 in 19 overs in reply to Royal Challengers Bangalore's 205/2 to register a five-wicket win in Match-3 of the Indian Premier League 2022 played here at the DY Patil Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing a mammoth 206-run target Punjab Kings needed a flying start and their openers Shikhar Dhawan and captain Mayank Agarwal did exactly. The Dhawan-Agarwal duo took their team's total to the 50-run mark in just 4.3 overs. In six overs the 2014 finalist Punjab had put on 63 runs in six overs.
The 71-run opening partnership was finally broken as leg-break bowler Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed Punjab captain Mayank Agarwal for 32 off 24 balls.
Sri Lanka wicket-keeper batter Bhanuka Rajapaksa joined Shikhar Dhawan in the middle and they both took Punjab's total to a triple-figure mark in 10.1 overs.
The 47-run partnership between Dhawan and Rajapaksa came to an end as Harshal Patel got the important wicket of Dhawan who scored 43 off 29 balls hitting five fours and one six to leave Punjab at 118/2.
Rajapaksa hit some big blows to put some pressure on RCB bowlers but Mohammed Siraj got his wicket to bring Bangalore back in the game. Rajapaksa scored 43 from 22 balls hitting four sixes and two fours. On the very next ball, Siraj dismissed Raj Bawa leg before wicket to a golden duck to reduce Punjab Kings to 139/3.
Liam Livingstone and Shahrukh Khan took the team's total beyond the 150-run mark in 14.3 overs. Medium-pacer Akash Deep dismissed Livingstone caught by Anuj Rawat for 19 from 10 balls as Punjab lost half of its side for 156.
With half of the side dismissed Punjab needed 36 to win from the last three overs at a required run-rate of 12 runs per over Shahrukh Khan and Odean Smith batted brilliantly to chase down a target with one over to spare.
Shahrukh Khan scored an unbeaten 24 from 20 balls hitting two sixes and Odean Smith slammed an eight ball 25 not out hitting three sixes and one four to help Punjab 208/5 in 19 overs.
Earlier in the day Punjab Kings won the toss and put Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat first and RCB got off to a good start as captain Faf du Plessis led from the front and attacked Punjab Kings bowlers. The RCB skipper du Plessis along with his opening partner Anuj Rawat scored 50 runs for the opening wicket.
The opening partnership was finally broken by leg-spinner Rahul Chahar as he cleaned up Anuj Rawat for 21 as Punjab lost the first wicket for 50 in the seventh over.
Virat Kohli walked in to bat with his skipper as the duo batted brilliantly to take the team to a strong position as RCB went past the triple-figure mark in 12.3 overs.
Faf du Plessis notched up his half-century off just 41 balls and he also brought a fifty partnership with Kohli. The two-time finalist RCB reached 150 in 15.3 overs. Faf-Kohli duo went on to score a century partnership as RCB looked all set for a big first-innings total.
Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh finally broke the 118-run partnership as he got the prized scalp of RCB captain du Plessis caught by Shahrukh Khan for 88 off 57 balls. The South African batter struck seven sixes in his blistering knock of 88.
Despite the fall of Faf du Plessis' wicket, the run rate did not fall as Dinesh Karthik joined Kohli and they both kept toying away with Punjab's bowling attack.
Virat Kohli's unbeaten 41 off 29 balls and Dinesh Karthik's 32 not out off 14 balls helped Royal Challengers Bangalore score 205/2 in 20 overs setting a 206-run target.
Brief Scores: Punjab Kings 208/5 in 19 overs (Bhanuka Rajapaksa 43, Shikhar Dhawan 43; Mohammed Siraj 2/59) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore 205/2 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 88, Virat Kohli 41*; Rahul Chahar 1/22).