The victory propelled RCB to the seventh spot on the table, accumulating eight points from 11 matches, and keeping their chances of reaching the playoffs alive.
Du Plessis (64 off 23 balls, including 10 fours and 3 sixes) and Kohli (42 off 27 balls, with 2 fours and 4 sixes) showcased exceptional form, forming a formidable opening partnership that amassed 92 runs in just 35 balls. Despite facing some tense moments, largely of their own making, Royal Challengers comfortably chased down a modest target of 148.
Both Du Plessis and Kohli unleashed a barrage of boundaries during the Power Play, accumulating 92 runs with 10 fours and 7 sixes. Kohli initiated the onslaught with two towering sixes off pacer Mohit Sharma in the very first over.
Du Plessis, displaying aggression from the outset, dismantled left-arm pacer Josh Little with an onslaught of boundaries, including a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 4 in the second over, yielding 20 runs in total.
Despite the introduction of IPL debutant left-arm spinner Manav Suthar by Gujarat Titans, Kohli continued his assault, smashing consecutive sixes off the spinner.
Du Plessis maintained his aggressive approach against Mohit, punishing him for four boundaries in the fifth over, reaching his fifty in just 18 balls before succumbing to Little.
However, RCB encountered a period of struggle as they lost key wickets, including last match centurion Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, and Cameron Green between the sixth and 10th overs, managing only 20 runs during this phase.
Little (4/45) and spinner Noor Ahmad (2/23) were the architects of RCB’s middle-order collapse as they restricted the team to 112 for five after a promising start.
