IPL 2020, RCB vs RR as it happened: Kohli, Padikkal take RCB to an comfortable win

7.20 pm: RCB have won three out of their first four matches and move to the top of the table.

Time for the second match. DC vs KKR live blog here.

END OF THE MATCH, RCB win by 8 wickets (158/2 in 19.1 overs): ABD finishes it off with a boundary past mid on. Well paced run-chase with Devdutt Padikkal impressing once again. And Virat Kohli is back in form.

After 19 overs, RCB 154/2 (Kohli 72, de Villiers 8): Nothing to say but that Virat Kohli is a freak, folks. One gets tired seeing him run. What an athlete.

A chipped shot to the fielder in the deep and a slight misfield, Virat Kohli ran three with ABD. Mad, mad running.

After 18 overs, RCB 147/2 (Kohli 68, de Villiers 5): Play that on loop says Harsha Bhogle as Kohli dances down the track against Curran and hits a four down the ground. The Indian captain picks up two more boundaries off the last two balls. Big over for RCB and the win is now imminent.

TOSS: Dinesh Karthik has won the toss and #KKR will bowl first. DC vs KKR live blog here.

After 17 overs, RCB 131/2 (Kohli 53, de Villiers 4): No chances taken against Gopal and still 7 runs. RCB need 24 off 18 balls.

Gopal to finish his fourth...

After 16 overs, RCB 124/2 (Kohli 50, de Villiers 0): PADIKKAL GONE! Jofra Archer deserved a wicket and he gets one in his final over. Padikkal’s fine innings is over on 63. The partnership with Kohli was worth 99. Jofra finishes with 1/18 in his 4 overs. Just got the one go at ABD and it was a straight full toss.

FIFTY FOR VIRAT KOHLI! He is all smiles. He had not going in the tournament before tonight. But ut was only a matter of time, wasn’t it? A lovely six down the ground in that Tewatia over before he got to the landmark off 41 balls. RCB cruising now. 118/1 after 15 overs.

Not long away from the 2nd match...the live blog for that one is here.

After 13 overs, RCB 107/1 (Kohli 41, Padikkal 56): Archer back and he concedes just 3 runs. Hurries the batsmen with his pace, does Archer. Unable to put away. But RCB won’t mind as long as they don’t give Archer a wicket. 48 needed off 36 balls now.

After 12 overs, RCB 104/1 (Kohli 40, Padikkal 54): FOUR, SIX. Here goes Virat Kohli. Takes on Riyan Parag and plays two majestic shots over the circle on the offside. He is finding his touch alright. RCB need 51 off 42 balls.

64 needed off 8 overs...with ABD still to come.

After 12 overs, RCB 91/1: THIRD IPL FIFTY FOR DEVDUTT PADIKKAL IN FOUR MATCHES! What a talent he is. This has been another superb innings so far. Is he really just playing his first IPL!? Showing such maturity and class. But the job, here, is not done. He will want to bat deep and take his side as close to 2 points as possible.

After 11 overs, RCB 82/1 (Padikkal 47, Kohli 27): Tewatia bowls his third, steady five runs. A big appeal from him for a LBW against Kohli. Was it pad first or bat first? Oooh, that was close! Was not reviewed.

After 10 overs, RCB 77/1 (Padikkal 46, Kohli 23): The fifty-run partnership comes up in that over. RCB clearly not taking too many chances against Shreyas Gopal. Dev P missed out on a short ball at the end of that over though, should have put that away.

After 9 overs, RCB 71/1 (Padikkal 40, Kohli 16): Back-to-back boundaries in the last 2 overs combined for Kohli. Short from Tewatia, pulled away with authority. Seven from that over. Kohli starting to get a move on.

After 8 overs, RCB 64/1 (Padikkal 40, Kohli 16): Kohli still seems to be searching for that sweet spot in his bat. Not quite clicking. The partnership is going at a tad over run-a-ball and that has been largely due to Padikkal. Tries to take on a short ball from Curran, but Kohli hit that off the top of the bat more it seemed. And finally, a cover drive off the meet of the bat. Straight to the fielder at cover and goes through for four. Kohli has a smile. A bit of fortune to turn his own around? Curran is not amused.

Timeout taken...

After 6 overs, RCB 50/1 (Padikkal 36, Kohli 6) A couple of nervy moments for RCB fans in that over as Padikkal’s mishits fall away from fielders. But puts away a couple of bad balls for fours elegantly too. He is setting the pace for his side here. Good powerplay for RCB.

Tom Curran into the attack...

After 5 overs, RCB 39/1 (Padikkal 25, Kohli 6) Kohli up and running. Gopal drags one short, Kohli somewhat awkwardly pulls it past fine leg for four. He is clearly shaping to play the googly every ball to make sure he doesn’t let one through.

After 4 overs, RCB 32/1 (Padikkal 23, Kohli 1) - Archer strays onto the pads of Padikkal and its glanced for a four. But a top over from the pacer otherwise. He goes 143, 144, 146 to Virat. Good stuff. Kohli taking his time here, and perhaps rightly so.

It’s time for Kohli vs Archer...

After 3 overs, RCB 27/1 (Padikkal 18, Kohli 1) - WICKET! What a review that is. Shreyas Gopal enjoys bowling against RCB and he makes an instant impact. Aaron Finch is LBW after ball-tracking shows three reds. It looked not out to naked eye but the googly was turning enough and Finch did not get outside the line. RCB 24/1.

After 2 overs, RCB 20/0 (Padikkal 16, Finch 4): Unadkat into the attack and he is welcomed with one of the shots of the tournament. Full on his pads, Padikkal just flicked it with an effortless ease for a near 80m six. Out of the stadium. What a shot. Hits a four through midwicket through that over.

After 1 over, RCB 5/0 (Padikkal 1, Finch 4): Not quite the fiery start we saw the other night from Jofra. A couple of deliveries down in the late 130s. A short ball is put away over point for four.

Jofra Archer steaming in... Padikkal on strike.

Target for RCB is 155. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli when he comes out to bat. Will he rediscover his touch in a run-chase?

End of 20 overs, RR 154/6: The two big-hitters of Royals step up again to help their side to 154/6 in 20 overs. Good recovery after losing the top three quickly. RCB should still be happy with it.

Rahul Tewatia: 24 off 12

Jofra Archer: 16 off 10

Partnership: 40 off 20 balls.

Ouch... Tewatia hit by a yorker gone wrong from Saini. He was trying to ramp that but that was so high from Saini. Not quite sure where it hit Tewatia but he is in pain. Free hit anyway. He is ok to go now.

After 19 overs, RR 139/6: Another match, another six for Jofra. He has really come to play (with the bat) this tournament. Udana is smacked over midwicket. The over also witnessed a moment of comedy that saw Tewatia run to the striker’s end and come back while Archer stood there and RCB still missed the runout chance.

After 18 overs, RR 129/6: A ridiculous short-arm jab for six by Tewatia at the start of the over and an inside edge for four by Archer off the last ball. Not a great over by Saini. He was lucky not to concede another boundary as AbD made a sensational stop behind the stumps. 13 runs from that over.

Tewatia and Archer in the middle... this should be fun.

Superb spell: 4 overs. 10 dot balls. 24 runs. 3 wickets. Yuzi Chahal, folks!

After 17 overs, RR 116/6: WICKET! He’s hit Chahal for a couple of massive sixes but Lomror is finally outfoxed by Chahal. It’s a good innings from the youngster though, out for 47 off 39 balls. Chahal has 3.

After 16 overs, RR 106/5 (Lomror 40, Tewatia 0): WICKET! Riyan Parag tries to muscle a short ball over long on but he finds Aaron Finch. Udana has his 2nd wicket. Good over from the Sri Lanka, seven runs and a wicket.

After 15 overs, RR 99/4 (Lomror 37, Parag 13): Chahal starts the over well by keeping the ball away from the reach of the two batsmen but the moment he tossed one up in the hitting zone, Lomror dances down and hits a massive six over midwicket. 10 off that over.

Chahal comes on, 2/5 in his 2 overs...

After 14 overs, RR 89/4 (Lomror 30, Parag 11): End of Washington’s spell. Brilliant again from the TN allrounder. 0/20 in his four overs. He seems to have found his rhythm (and a solid place in the XI).

After 13 overs, RR 85/4 (Lomror 28, Parag 9): a bullet straight drive for four by Parag off Zampa. He has conceded a boundary ever over. 0/27 in 3.

After 12 overs, RR 77/4 (Lomror 26, Parag 3)

After 11 overs, RR 73/4 - Uthappa out! He is out for 17 off 22 deliveries. Wanted to get a move on, tried to loft down the ground off a ball that was outside stump and ends up slicing it to long off. Wonder how long RR will persist with Uthappa with someone like Jaiswal waiting in the wings.

Parag joins Lomror in the middle now...

After 10 overs, RR 70/3 (Uthappa 17, Lomror 22): Saini gets another over. Lomror adds another boundary to his tally, not the best of shots but has enough to reach boundary. RR going at 7 RPO now but Uthappa might have to get a move on.

Watch: Good decision or not? RR’s Sanju Samson given out caught and bowled off Yuzi Chahal

After 9 overs, RR 61/3 (Uthappa 15, Lomror 15): Not been the best of starts for Zampa. That six by Lomror over midwicket meant there were 11 runs in that over and now he has gone for 19 in his first 2. Did not finish well against MI and now not able to keep the pressure here against RR.

Timeout taken after Lomror hits a six that calls for a ball change...

After 8 overs, RR 50/3: Decent recovery from RR after having lost their three big guns early. Uthappa hits a four to close out Zampa’s first over. Sundar follows that up with just a 4-run over. Good stuff from him again.

Watch the Samson dismissal here:

After 6 overs, RR 38/3: End of a powerplay that has belonged completely to RCB. Uthappa and Lomror have a big task on hand as RCB finish the powerplay up with a tidy Washington over.

4.1: CHAHAL STRIKES FIRST BALL! And it’s the big wicket of Sanju Samson. Caught and bowled, but the umpire needed a few replays. Hang on now, is that the right decision. Soft signal was out and the umpire said not enough evidence to overturn. Out or not out, what do you think?

After 4 overs, RR 31/2: A wicket-maiden by Saini as he troubles Uthappa too.

After 3.1 overs, RR 31/2: BIG WICKET! SAINI STRIKES FIRST BALL! BUTTLER GONE! The Indian pacer picks up from where he left off against MI. Fired in full just outside offstump, Buttler digs it out from the crease but the outside edge is taken sharply by Padikkal at slip. Dream start for RCB.

Navdeep Saini time...

After 3 overs, RR 31/1 (Buttler 22, Samson 4): EARLY WICKET! Isuru Udana bounces back brilliantly after being hit for a six and four by Buttler. He gets the wicket of RR captain Steve Smith who chops a slower delivery angled away from him onto the stumps. Change of pace worked in that case for Udana. Samson, meanwhile, walks in and hits the most elegant cover drive for four.

After 2.3 overs, RR 27/0 (Buttler 22, Smith 5): Buttler is teeing off. Udana bowls a short-slow ball and that is deposited over midwicket for a massive six. First of the weekend. Follows that up with a pull shot along the ground for four.

After 2 overs, RR 16/0 (Buttler 11, Smith 5): Around the wicket for Buttler, over for Smith. Another boundary for the Englishman in that over, another one behind square on the leg side. Good over otherwise by Washington.

Washington Sundar comes on...interesting call by Kohli, with two right-handers in. The offie does enjoy bowl in the first six.

After 1 over, RR 9/0 (Buttler 5, Smith 4): Udana induces a false shot off the very first ball but the edge does not carry to slip. Buttler then walks across and clips one fine for the first boundary. Nod of approval from Smith for an in-dipping delivery that cut him in half. But another leg glance goes for four, this time Smith. A good over from Udana spoiled by two balls on the pad that were hit either side of short fine.

Isuru Udana to start off with his left-arm medium pace...

3.28 pm: Right in the heat of Abu Dhabi, the game is all set to begin. Steve Smith and Jos Buttler opening, like they did in the last match. Can RCB make a good start with the ball?

Team news: RR have brought in Mahipal Lomror for Ankit Rajpoot. RCB are unchanged, which means AB de Villiers will continue to keep wickets.

Ian Bishop: “Whisper it quietly, but many are wondering if this could be the year for RCB...”

3.10 pm: Here’s how the teams have fared so far:

RR XI: One change for RR. Ankit Rajpoot is on the bench today and Mahipal Lomror comes into the XI.

RR XI: Jos Buttler(w), Steven Smith(c), Sanju Samson, Robin Uthappa, Riyan Parag, Rahul Tewatia, Tom Curran, Shreyas Gopal, Jofra Archer, Mahipal Lomror, Jaydev Unadkat

RCB XI: No changes to the RCB playing XI

RCB XI: Devdutt Padikkal, Aaron Finch, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers(w), Shivam Dube, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Washington Sundar, Isuru Udana, Navdeep Saini, Adam Zampa, Yuzvendra Chahal.

TOSS: Steve Smith wins the toss and RR will bat first. Pretty warm day and no one would have liked to field in the heat first and then bat.

Pitch: The wicket is expected to be on the slower side and a total around 160-170 should be a competitive one.

AB likes batting against RR:

Weather update:

Heat factor

The dew factor will go out of the window but the searing heat will be an issue when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Rajasthan Royals in the first of the Indian Premier League double-headers in Abu Dhabi today.

Having played their first two games at Sharjah, the smallest of the three venues, Royals — as Steve Smith admitted — could not quite adapt to the conditions and ground dimensions in Dubai in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders.

The ground in Abu Dhabi is on the bigger side too but the Royals’ experience of playing in Dubai will help them make more informed decisions.