The night Royal Challengers Bangalore let a dream slip through their fingers despite a flying start
May 29, 2016. The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore buzzed with excitement. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), in their third IPL final, were chasing that elusive trophy.
The fans felt the silverware was almost theirs to grab as Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli stepped up to pursue 209 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).
For a thrilling ten overs, the victory was within their grasp.
Let’s not beat around the bush—RCB came out swinging. The opening duo made mincemeat of the chase, smashing 114 runs in just 10.3 overs. Gayle was in vintage form—launching 8 sixes, 4 fours, and striking at 200. His 76 off 38 had the crowd on their feet, and Kohli, ever the anchor, added 54 off 35. The equation kept shrinking: 95 needed from 57, then 61 off 37. Simple, right?
Not quite.
Because from there, it unravelled.
Let’s pause and take that in—114-run opening stand.
Yet, it ended in defeat.
Credit: ESPN
RCB finished on 200/7, 8 runs short of glory. In a match where they had all the momentum, all the firepower, and the backing of a home crowd.
Sunrisers Hyderabad had something else—grit.
Ben Cutting dismissed Gayle and then returned to clean up KL Rahul as well. AB de Villiers (5), Rahul (11), and Shane Watson contributed just 27 runs. A batting lineup that featured global superstars suddenly fell flat. The game had shifted. It was no longer about batting fireworks—it was about composure.
Credit: ESPN
While Gayle and Kohli stole the show early on, Ben Cutting brewed his own storm. He didn’t just pick up two big wickets; earlier in the day, he smashed an unbeaten 39 off 15 to take SRH from 174 to 208 in the blink of an eye. His final-over hammering of Shane Watson—worth 24 runs—was, in hindsight, the dagger.
Ironically, Watson had a day to forget. With the ball, he gave away 61 runs in 4 overs—the most expensive figures in an IPL final at the time. His bat didn’t offer much either—just 11 off 9 before Mustafizur sent him packing.
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From 114/0 to 194/7, RCB lost their way. The final ten overs yielded 86 runs for 7 wickets. The calm, calculated chase turned jittery. Every over after Gayle’s exit chipped away at their confidence.
When Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled four inch-perfect yorkers in the 18th over, the match was all but done. Needing 30 from 12, then 18 from the final 6. In a game that once seemed theirs, RCB were now chasing shadows.
Credit: ESPN
It was one of those nights that reminded us—T20 cricket doesn’t reward early fireworks if you can’t hold your nerve at the end. Sunrisers Hyderabad held their nerve. They regrouped, pulled things back, and never gave RCB an inch once the breakthrough came.
Despite their flying start, RCB crashed to a heartbreaking loss. The title that felt theirs had slipped through their fingers, yet again.
Because, as cricket teaches us, no target is safe, no lead is permanent—and sometimes, even a 100+ opening stand isn’t enough to win the crown.
Credit: ESPN
