Shahbaz, Maxi lead RCB to second successive win as Sunrisers collapse in 150 run chase

Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed (3/7) dished out a match-winning performance after Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell’s half-century to help Royal Challengers Bangalore notch up a six-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League match at MA Chidambaram Stadium on Wednesday.

Put in to bat, RCB managed 149 for eight on the back of Maxwell’s 41-ball 59 before Shahbaz changed the complexion of the match by dismissing Manish Pandey (38), Jonny Bairstow (12) and Abdul Samad (0) in one over, as SRH ended at 143 for nine in the stipulated 20 overs.

The victory propelled RCB to the top of the table.

Chasing a modest total, SRH lost opener Wriddhiman Saha (1) cheaply in the beginning of the third over. However, skipper David Warner (54) and Pandey looked to make short work of the chase, galloping towards the target with the Sunrisers needing 73 off the last 10 overs.

The duo looked in ominous touch, smashing boundaries every over to keep the score board ticking until the 14the over when the Australian, who hit seven fours and a six, was dismissed off a Kyle Jamieson off-cutter.

RCB gained confidence after Warner’s dismissal, their bowlers limiting the boundaries. With the pressure mounting, Bairstow, Pandey and Samad tried to target Shahbaz but mistimed their shots to return to the pavilion in the 17th over.

Vijay Shankar (3) and Jason Holder (4) too struggled. Rashid Khan injected some hope in the SRH camp smashing 18 off nine balls before he was run out.

Earlier, SRH bowlers, led by West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder (3/30) and star spinner Rashid Khan (2/18), put up superlative show and picked up wickets at regular intervals.

For RCB, Maxwell was the top scorer, hitting five fours and three maximums with skipper Virat Kohli (33) Shahbaz Ahmed (14) and Kyle Jamieson (12) providing valuable contributions.