The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) picked up their second win of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 as they beat the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by six runs in Chennai on Wednesday after being sent in to bat on a challenging pitch.

In the first innings, ‘The Big Show’ Glenn Maxwell’s (59) superb half-century and his first in five years helped RCB to a respectable 149-6. In an innings where RCB’s big guns faltered, Virat Kohli (33) and AB de Villiers (1), Maxwell was the mainstay and ensured RCB ended with a defendable total after its top and middle order failed. The Australian hit three sixes and five boundaries with his usual trademark inventiveness.

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It was a real group effort from the SRH attack with each of the five bowlers picking up at least one wicket. The pick of them was Jason Holder (3-30) and star leg-spinner Rashid Khan (2-18).

Chasing 150, SRH lost an early wicket but skipper David Warner (54) and Manish Pandey (38) took control of proceedings with an 83-run partnership before the Australian holed out to give RCB a glimmer of hope. This was the catalyst for a middle-order collapse as spinner Shabnaz Ahmed (3-7) took three wickets in the 17th over which definitively swung the momentum in RCB’s favour.

SRH’s panicked shot selection in the final five overs cost them from what looked like a probable win at one stage. Due to the disastrous collapse SRH eventually ended on 143-9 after 20 overs, six runs shy. Other than Ahmed’s three wickets, seamers Siraj Mohammed and Harshal Patel picked two each for RCB. Patel also ended the day by putting on the Purple Cap.

Looking ahead, the winless SRH take on Mumbai Indians on Saturday while the unbeaten RCB face the Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday in the early match.