BENGALURU: Chasing an imposing 112 to win in the rain-affected 10 overs a side IPL T20 cricket match, Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets to record their first home victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday.
The Bangalore team began on a rousing note knocking off 48 runs by the fourth over. But just as Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli threatened to go berserk, Kolkata struck two vital blows. Kohli too left and RCB neded 33 runs in 18 balls and then 25 in 12. Umesh Yadav conceded 13 runs and they needed 13 from the final over. Mandeep Singh played a cameo knock of 45 in 18 balls with four fours and three sixes. Mandeep guided Russell for six over point and then swung him backward of square to hoist the winning runs for RCB with two balls to spare.
Gayle sent leggie Brad Hogg racing towardslong on but Russell ran in to take a difficult catch tumbling down in the process. AB de Villiers tried to cut another leggie Piyush Chawla and the ball hit the bottom of his bat and the ball travelled back to dislodge his stumps.
Virat Kohli and Mandeep Singh then seized the initiative and produced a flurry of fours and sixes coming down heavily on Chawla who went for 18 runs in his second over. But Kohli lofted Russell to Suryakumar Yadav at long on after making 34 off 20 balls with two fours and three sixes. He put on 30 runs in a mere 2.4 overs with Mandeep.
Earlier, Andre Russell's pyrotechnics enabled Kolkata Knight Riders to post an impressive total of 111 for 4. Russell made a brisk 45 with five fours and three sixes as he slammed the bowling with gay abandon. But as he tried to steal a single, he was run out by wicket-keeper Dinesh Karthik's direct hit. Karthik had also sprinted a good 30 metres to hold a skier as Robin Uthappa (23) miscued his shot in trying to swing Yezuvendra Chahal towards square leg. Ryan ten Doeschate played some good shots before he was caught by AB de Villiers off Starc. Yusuf Pathan (11) and Suryakumar Yadav (8) ensured that Kolkata reached a formidable total.
The first run for Kolkata came off a Mitchell Starc wide ball and as Robin Uthappa took a single off the next, Gautam Gambhir produced a well-timed straight drive on the onside as it raced to the fence.
Robin Uthappa then drove Varun Aaron past mid-off and then had an edged boundary to third man as Kolkata tried to accelerate the scoring. He then lofted Harshal Patel in the next over the cover fielder for four. But Gambhir departed being caught well by Mandeep Singh jumping up at point as he tried to push David Weise to point.
Royal Challengers won the toss and decided to field. But before they could take to it, the skies opened up and the game could not start. The covers stayed on for a good two hours. Finally they came off and it got underway with both sides being given 10 overs to bat.
Scoreboard:
Kolkata Knight Riders: R Uthappa c Karthik b Chahal
23, G Gambhir c Mandeep Singh b Wiese 12, A Russell run out 45, Doeschate c de Villiers b Starc 12, Y Pathan not out 11, S A Yadav not out 8. Extras (lb3, w4, nb1) 8. Total (4 wickets; 10 overs) 111.
Fall of wickets: 1-33, 2-71, 3-96, 4-102.
Bowling: Mitchell Starc 2-0-15-1, V Aaron 2-0-29-0,H Patel 2-0-22-0, David Wiese 2-0-20-1, Y Chahal 2-0-22-1.
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle c Russell, b Hogg 21, Virat Kohli c Yadav b Russell 34, AB de Villiers b Chawla 2, Mandeep Singh not out 45,
David Wiese not out 9. Extras (w4) 4. Total (3 wickets; 9.4 overs) 115.
Fall of wickets: 1-48, 2-51, 3-81.
Bowling: P Cummins 2-0-18-0, Umesh Yadav 2-0-31-0, Brad Hogg 2-0-23-1, Piysu Chawla 2-0-21-1, A D Russell 1.4-0-22-1.