Bengaluru Ends Losing Streak with Impressive Victory over Hyderabad

In a thrilling encounter, the struggling Bengaluru (BLR) finally found their winning touch, halting a six-game losing streak by defeating the high-flying Hyderabad (HYD) in Hyderabad. BLR's second win of the season came after a month-long drought, as they set a challenging target of 206 runs on a tricky pitch. Rajat Patidar and Cameron Green played explosive innings to propel their team, while BLR's spinners contributed with crucial wickets, securing a convincing 35-run victory.

The turning point of the match was the PowerPlay phase, where BLR showcased their prowess by claiming four wickets, a feat they hadn't achieved all season. HYD, despite scoring one more run than BLR in the first six overs, lost crucial wickets including Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, and Heinrich Klaasen, which ultimately made the difference.

BLR got off to a flying start, thanks to the aggressive batting of Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis, who raced to 43/0 in just three overs after winning the toss. However, the momentum shifted when T. Natarajan dismissed du Plessis with a slower short-ball, followed by a tight over from Shahbaz Ahmed, conceding only two runs. Kohli managed to hit a six off Natarajan's final over in the PowerPlay, taking BLR to 61/1 after six overs.

In the middle overs, Kohli struggled to maintain his scoring rate, managing only 19 runs off his last 25 balls. He eventually scored a half-century but failed to find the boundaries consistently. On the other hand, Rajat Patidar played a breathtaking knock, reaching his fifty off just 19 balls and smashing four consecutive sixes in the 11th over bowled by Mayank Markande. However, HYD fought back admirably, preventing any fours in overs 12-15. Jaydev Unadkat, in his 100th Ind T20 League game, showcased his bowling prowess by dismissing Patidar, Kohli, and Mahipal Lomror.

During the death overs, Cameron Green emerged as the standout performer for BLR, displaying excellent skills against the slower deliveries. He struck four boundaries off compatriot Pat Cummins, who proved expensive, conceding 55 runs in his four overs. HYD captain Bhuvneshwar Kumar managed to control the run flow with his efficient use of bowlers, particularly Shahbaz Ahmed, who conceded only 14 runs in his three overs.

In HYD's chase, their top-order suffered an unusual collapse in the PowerPlay, losing four wickets for 62 runs. Will Jacks, who opened the bowling, proved instrumental in dismissing Travis Head, while Yash Dayal accounted for Abhishek Sharma's wicket. Swapnil Singh struck twice to remove Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, leaving HYD reeling at 62/4 after six overs.

Karn Sharma took charge in the middle overs, spinning a web around HYD's batsmen. He claimed two wickets in quick succession, reducing HYD to 85/6. Abdul Samad and Pat Cummins provided a brief resurgence with some big hits, but Cummins eventually fell to Green. Karn Sharma bowled exceptionally well, finishing with figures of 2 for 29.

In the death overs, the match was already out of HYD's reach. Green added another wicket, dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar, but HYD's lower-order batsmen managed to reduce the margin of defeat to 35 runs.

With this victory, BLR ended their losing streak and will look to carry the momentum into their next match against the Gujarat Titans. HYD, on the other hand, will aim to bounce back when they face the defending champions in Chennai on the same day.

Brief scores: Bengaluru 206/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 51, Rajat Patidar 50; Jaydev Unadkat 3-30) beat Hyderabad 171/8 in 20 overs (Shahbaz Ahmed 40*; Karn Sharma 2-29) by 35 runs