On this Day in 2010 – When Kevin Pietersen’s Blazing 62 Guided RCB to the Playoffs

Earlier, when the Indian Premier League matches used to revolve around scores of 150 or below, their endings were far more than a thriller. Cricket fans saw one such game during the IPL 2010 edition on 14th April when Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals faced each other on this day in 2010 at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. This match is remembered by various RCB fans as an underrated inning by Kevin Pietersen, who helped the team get themselves over Rajasthan Royals when their batters fell down quickly. Let’s take a look at the match and how Kevin Pietersen played a crucial role for the team.

RCB Bowlers Wreck RR

The match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore meant a lot for both teams, as RCB was just one win away from enhancing its chances of reaching the qualifiers, and RR wanted to end its campaign with a few wins. Taking the home ground advantage and being aware of the pitch conditions, Shane Warne, the captain of Rajasthan Royals, won the toss and decided to bat first.

With RCB coming off to bowl in the first innings, their bowlers were able to dominate well. Michael Lumb and Naman Ojha came to open for Rajasthan Royals, and RCB also went economical during the start. However, Lumb (9 runs off 8 balls) was dismissed in the third over with a sharp throw from Kallis, and Amit Paunikar was also dismissed on his first ball after being caught behind, which also opened the wickets column for Vinay Kumar.

Naman Ojha looked well, but he eventually got dismissed at the score of 7, giving his wicket to Pankaj Singh, and this put Rajasthan at a score of 21 for 3. Shane Watson and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala aimed to stabilize the score, as they batted well to create a partnership. However, Kallis was able to take Watson’s wicket at the score of 22, and Pankaj Singh also dismissed Jhunjhunwala at the score of 13.

Yusuf Pathan came to the crease, but due to his aggressive intent, he was also dismissed by Dale Steyn, which put Rajasthan Royals at the score of 72 runs for the loss of 6 wickets. Just when RCB bowlers had the upper hand in the game, Adam Voges and Abhishek Raut were able to take charge of the Rajasthan Royals. Voges scored 28, and Raut smashed 32 runs off just 20 balls, putting Rajasthan Royals at the score of 130 for 6 in 20 overs.

The RCB bowlers were able to dominate in the first innings, as their plans went perfectly well. Dale Steyn remained economical, conceding just 15 runs in 4 overs and even taking a wicket. Vinay Kumar and Jacques Kallis were also able to contribute with a wicket each, as Pankaj Singh remained the highest wicket-taker with 2 wickets for 27 runs.

RCB’s Chase: Pietersen Shows Masterclass

Chasing a small target of 131, Royal Challengers Bangalore thought it would be easier for them. However, Rajasthan Royals had some different plans with their bowling line-up, which were unexpected for the RCB batsmen. Jacques Kallis, one of the team’s consistent performers, was bowled out for a duck by Kamran Khan in the second over. Manish Pandey also started off well for the team but was eventually caught by Yusuf Pathan with a score of 14. At this point, RCB stood at 17 for the loss of 2 wickets.

Then came the biggest nightmare for Rajasthan’s team, Kevin Pietersen, who took the game towards RCB quickly. Known for his aggressive batting intent, he took control of the game quickly and played according to the pitch conditions. Along with that, Pietersen also played through the strategies of RR’s bowlers, displaying that class and consistency are able to break all the strategies well.

During the 4th over, Pietersen showed his intent against Kamran Khan, scoring 18 runs off the over, including three fours and one six. It didn’t only help RCB to take the upper hand in the game, it also created pressure on the bowlers of the Rajasthan Royals. Pietersen had a great partnership with Manish Pandey, but even after his wicket, Robin Uthappa was able to help Pietersen well from the other end.

Robin Uthappa and Kevin Pietersen had an impressive 60 runs partnership off just 35 balls before Uthappa lost his wicket to Shane Warne, as he was dismissed at the score of 26 runs off 21 deliveries. Pietersen, on the other hand, continued smashing against the bowlers with his fine stroke play, and fans were fascinated by his footwork against the spinners. Among the best moments in his innings, one came off against Shane Warne, where he stepped out to play a lofted shot for a boundary.

He was able to reach a half-century in just 24 balls, and what made it stand out was the form of other batters on the same pitch and his calculated approach to the chase. Unfortunately, Pietersen was not able to finish the game himself, as he got run out following a miscommunication by Virat Kohli at the other end. But he did the job well, scoring 62 runs off just 29 deliveries with 10 fours and 2 sixes, and a magnificent strike rate of 213.

Virat Kohli went off well but lost his wicket to Trivedi, which marked the end of his innings at the score of 14. Ross Taylor and Rahul Dravid were further able to take Royal Challengers Bangalore to the target score without any interruptions from the Rajasthan Royals’ bowling line-up. As a result, RCB ended up winning the match against Rajasthan Royals by 5 wickets and 26 balls remaining. Kevin Pietersen was the Player of the Match for his magnificent half-century in the chase.