Former Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli's form has been a major talking point this season. Against Gujarat Titans last week, he seemed to have rediscovered his form with a 53-ball 58. But his struggle, especially against spin, was again on show against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday. Kohli consumed 33 balls to put together 30 runs and then played a role in Glenn Maxwell's run out to slow down RCB's innings.
On this day, however, Kohli wouldn't have been bothered about all the talk over his form as RCB returned to winning ways with an impressive bowling performance. RCB's Mahipal Lomror also showed class and composure during his 27-ball 42 (3x4; 2x6).
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Lomror and Karthik took RCB to 173/8 at the MCA stadium in Pune. On a pitch which offered good spin and bounce, pacer Josh Hazlewood (1/19), Maxwell (2/22) and Harshal Patel (3/35) then came up with the goods to break the team's three-match losing streak as RCB prevailed by 13 runs.
1/10:Bangalore beat Chennai
<p>Royal Challengers Bangalore ended a three-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League as Josh Hazlewood and Harshal Patel inspired them to a 13-run win over Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
2/10:Mahendra Singh Dhoni
<p>Bangalore scored 173-8 after Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and chose to field first. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
3/10:Faf du Plessis
<p>Bangalore started well with Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli adding 57 runs in the first six overs of the match. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
4/10:Virat Kohli
<p>Du Plessis fell for 38 off 22 deliveries to Moeen who also bowled Kohli after a scratchy 30 off 33 balls. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
5/10:Glenn Maxwell
<p>Glenn Maxwell was run out just three balls into his innings when Kohli called for a risky single. (BCCI/IPL Photo)</p>
6/10:Mahipal Lomror
<p>Rookies Mahipal Lomror, with 42 off 27 balls, and Rajat Patidar helped RCB post a challenging total. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
7/10:Dinesh Karthik
<p>Dinesh Karthik once again impressed with a timely 26 not out, including two sixes in the final over, while Maheesh Theekshana took 3-27 for Chennai. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
8/10:Josh Hazlewood
<p>Hazlewood bowled four tight overs, dismissing Dhoni for two and giving away only 19 runs, while Patel took three key wickets for 35 runs. (BCCI/IPL/ANI Photo)</p>
9/10:Ruturaj Gaikwad
<p>CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Devon Conway hit 51 in the power-play but their middle-order faltered. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>
10/10:Devon Conway
<p>Both Gaikwad, who hit three fours and a six, and Conway, with six fours and two sixes, looked fluent before falling to RCB spinners. (BCCI/IPL/PTI Photo)</p>CSK openers Ruturaj Gaikwad (28) and Devon Conway (56) looked to recreate the magic of their previous outing against Sunrisers Hyderabad, in which they shared a 182-run association. While Shahbaz Ahmed halted Gaikwad's run, Maxwell tilted the scales in RCB's favour by sending back danger men Robin Uthappa and Ambati Rayudu in quick succession.
Moeen Ali followed up his heroics with the ball with a 27-ball 34, but once he was dismissed by Harshal in the 18th over, the cookie began to crumble with Ravindra Jadeja, Dhoni and Dwaine Pretorius making hasty exits.
Earlier, invited to bat, RCB were off to their best start of the season with skipper Faf du Plessis (38) and Kohli bringing up their half-century partnership in five overs. But the introduction of spin in the sixth over - bowled by off-spinner Maheesh Theekshana (3/27) - pegged RCB back.
The man who swung the moment in CSK's favour was the seasoned Ali (2/28). Returning to the team after a hiatus after he went wicketless in the five matches of the season, the off-spinner took just two balls to show he was back in business.
Ali broke the opening stand as Du Plessis mistimed a tossed-up delivery, which was taken by Jadeja at deep midwicket. Poor communication with Kohli and his own indecisiveness saw Maxwell's dry run continue. Ali was back to collar RCB's top order as Kohli reached out to a flatter delivery which turned, sneaked between the bat and pad to crash into the stumps.
While Rajat Patidar (21) was sent back with Mukesh Choudhary taking a brilliant diving catch off Pretorius, Lomror decided to grind it out. The 22-year-old left-hander showed a glimpse of what he is capable of with a slog-sweep maximum off Theekshana over deep square leg and a flat six off Pretorius. Dinesh Karthik was back among runs and finished with an unbeaten 17-ball 26.
