Challengers show Royals who's the boss

RCB opener Devdutt Padikkal en route his brisk 63 against Rajasthan Royals in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Sportzpics

On a day in which the Rajasthan Royals received news of Ben Stokes’s arrival in the UAE for the Indian Premier League, their desperation for the England all-rounder brimmed.

Unfortunately, they will have to wait a week or so for the availability of a post-quarantine Stokes. As for Saturday afternoon, Steven Smith and Co. were made to look mostly amateur by a Royal Challengers Bangalore unit which played to its potential, finally.

Yuzvendra Chahal put his unusually expensive performance in the game against Mumbai Indians behind and led the way with the ball, scalping three for 24 in a spell which was requisite in restricting Royals to 154 for 6 in 20 overs on a surface that didn't have too many demons in it.

The response could have gone either way, but it didn’t as RCB reached 158 for 2 with five balls to spare. In due course, Devdutt Padikkal continued to hog the limelight with strokes oh-so-beautiful and Virat Kohli returned to form in a way only he can.

Paddikal (63 from 45 balls) carved his third half-century in four games, and Kohli sluiced the rust with a gradually-accelerated 72 not out from 53 balls, including a couple of gorgeous sixes.

The resultant eight-wicket win propped Kohli’s men to the top of the table - even if only until there’s a result from the Delhi Capitals-Kolkata Knight Riders game later on - with six points from four games.

While early signs have exceeded expectations, RCB will be most proud that they executed plans without wrinkles against the Royals. Often, the Bengaluru-outfit has been guilty of veering acutely from an original plan at the first sign of discomfort. Pushed to play an opponents tempo, they lose the plot, eventually - and more often than not - the game. It wasn’t so against the Royals.

Barring an early eye-candy knock from Jos Buttler (22), Royals offered nothing to write home until Mahipal Lomror (47) and Rahul Tewatia (24 not out) offered something for the broadcasters to highlight.

In between the heavy hitters, RCB earned plaudits for their bowling and their fielding prowess. While rare, and a tad off-kilter towards the final stages, it wasn’t undeserved.

Isuru Udana got Smith to chop-on in the third over, Navdeep Saini opened with a maiden and the wicket of Buttler and Chahal dismissed an in-form Sanju Samson off the first delivery of his spell.

The Royals were stranded at 33 for 3 after five overs without much experience to rely on and the one seasoned bat available - Robin Uthappa - rarely middling the ball.

Chahal put an end to Uthappa’s misery before giving Lomror a delicate send-off after being hit for a couple of sixes by the southpaw.

Tewatia eventually bolstered the total with three clean sixes, but not before being struck on the chest by a 140 kmph beamer from Saini.

In the end, though, it didn't matter. Bowlers still did a fantastic job, RCB closed out a chase with confidence and they improved their net run rate. Most importantly, Kohli looked majestic.

The entourage must be elated.