IPL 2022, RR vs RCB: Dinesh Karthik, Shahbaz Ahmed cameos stun Rajasthan Royals

Duo adds 67 off 32 balls as RCB hunt down 169 to hand Royals 1st lossIn the end, it was the finishing flourish from the cool and calm pair of Dinesh Karthik and Shahbaz Ahmed that turned the match in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) favour at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday. AS IT HAPPENED | SCORECARD | POINTS TABLEStuttering at 87/5 in 13 overs, veteran Karthik not only soaked up the pressure en route his 23-ball 44*, but also emboldened youngster Ahmed (45 off 26 balls) who joined his senior in routing Sanju Samson's high-flying Rajasthan Royals. Chasing 170, a target that gained respectability in the last three overs when Royals' Jos Buttler and Shimron Hetymer took the score from 118 to 169, RCB got off to a decent start, scoring 48 in the Powerplay.

Tormenting RCB with drift and turn, off-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal engineered the first breakthrough, dismissing Faf du Plessis in the seventh over of the innings and sending David Willey packing in the ninth. In between, Anuj Rawat (26 off 25) gifted his wicket to Navdeep Saini, edging in an attempt to play towards the third man, and Virat Kohli (5 off 6 balls) fell prey to an unfortunate run-out. But the RCB chase came back to life after Karthik joined Ahmed.

Earlier, having decided to field first, the RCB bowlers put Royals to the test on a sluggish wicket. The complexion of the game changed from one of vulnerability to growing confidence when in-form Buttler and Hetmyer, who stitched a 83-run partnership, upped the ante in the last three overs. The opener's 70 not out off 47 balls, including six sixes, also got him the Orange Cap back. Hetmyer gave good company, slamming a 31-ball 42. Harshal Patel was the pick of the RCB bowlers, recording figures of