IPL 2021, Match 43: RR vs RCB, Stats Review: Harshal Patel accomplishes a flurry of records as RCB thrash RR

Another day and another comprehensive win for the Royal Challengers Bangalore! Can they really end their trophy drought in IPL 2021? They are certainly on the right track to do so. The Virat Kohli-led side defeated Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets in Dubai, going one step closer to a berth in the playoffs. After restricting the Men in Pink for 149/9, RCB comfortably crossed the line with as many as 17 balls to spare.

Earlier in the game, RCB won the toss and elected to bowl at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. RR openers Evin Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal embraced the challenge and attacked the bowlers from the outset. The duo added 77 runs in 8.2 overs as the Royals seemed cruising towards a mammoth total. However, nothing as such happed as RR suffered yet another batting collapse.

As a result, they were restricted to 149/9 in their allotted 20 overs. RCB’s chase went pretty smooth as Sanju Samson’s men never seemed like defending this total. Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal added 48 runs for the first wicket before passing on the baton to Srikar Bharat and Glenn Maxwell. While Bharat got out on 44, Maxwell slammed an unbeaten half-century.

As a result, RCB crossed the line in just 17.1 overs. With this win, RCB consolidated the third position and need just one win from the remaining three games to secure a berth in the playoffs. On the other hand, RR slipped down to the penultimate place and things are not looking too pleasant for them.

Meanwhile, here are the important stats and numbers from the RR vs RCB clash in IPL 2021:

26 – Harshal Patel has taken 26 this season so far, most by an uncapped bowler. He overtook Yuzvendra Chahal’s tally of 23 wickets in 2013.

2 – Patel’s tally of 26 wickets is also the joint-second most by an Indian bowler in a season. Bhuvneshwar Kumar also took as many wickets in the 2017 edition. Jasprit Bumrah tops the list with 27 wickets in 2020.

2 – Patel also became the second bowler to take 10 wickets in the 20th over of an IPL season. In the 2015 edition, Dwayne Bravo took 12 wickets.

9.31 – Patel’s strike rate of 9.31 is the best among bowlers with over 10 or more wickets in an IPL season. In the 2008 edition, Sohail Tanvir maintained a strike rate of 11.23.

5 – Glenn Maxwell became the fifth Australian player to complete 7000 runs in T20 cricket. David Warner, Aaron Finch, Brad Hodge, and Shane Watson are the other four.

77 – The 77-run stand between Evin Lewis and Yashasvi Jaiswal is the highest opening partnership for Rajasthan Royals since Ajinkya Rahane-Liam Livingstone added 78 runs against SRH in 2019.

2 – Sanju Samson became the second player after Shikhar Dhawan to complete 450 runs in IPL 2021.

452– Samson’s tally of 452 runs is also most for him in an IPL season. He slammed 441 runs in the 2018 edition.

2015 – For the very time since 2015, Virat Kohli got run out in IPL.