Ideal game for us: Kohli

Till now Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) led by Virat Kohli have dismal performance in the 11th edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). Nevertheless, it was also an opportunity for RCB to improve their net run-rate, which was dismal before the match.

Riding on Virat Kohli’s brilliant 40-ball 70 and De Villiers unbeaten 72 off 37, RCB chased down the target of 182 runs against DD easily at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Saturday night. With very few matches to be played, there is plenty to watch out for. The game that was expected to be a thrilling one turned out to be a damp squib. So, by losing nine wickets, RCB scored 127 runs only in 20 overs. Then in the same fifth over, he bowled another short ball close to Gayle, who tried to send the ball outside the ground but could only sky it to Mohammad Siraj at square leg.

Wickets kept on falling like pack of cards as other batsmen failed to occupy the crease.

WICKETS! This is just bad. WICKET! de Grandhomme removes Mayank Agarwal for 2 runs. To his dismay, Moeen Ali accounted for his wicket when he tried to slog the away to be caught by Kohli. Stoinis was new to the crease and Chahal made a decision to throw in a googly to him.

WICKET! Another KXIP batsman makes his way to pavillion.

Umesh could have got RCB a dream start had stumper Parthiv Patel held on to Gayle’s nick in the very first over, but the bowler had the last laugh when he dismissed both the openers in the fifth over off similar deliveries. He has been hitting the ball well, and if he can sustain it, he will trouble the Punjab bowlers. Umesh Yadav removes him for a duck!

Aaron Finch top-scored for Punjab with a 23-ball 26 while KL Rahul made 21 up the order.

Dropped! How costly will this prove.

This was the first-century partnership between Kohli and de Villiers in two seasons.

Kings XI Punjab has been a team that has defied the odds and hence we really think KXIP will actually win this one too.

However in IPL, odd things have happened at the business end of the tournament and RCB, under Virat Kohli, are likely to put a lot of pressure on the slipping KXIP.

With six wins and as many losses in 12 games, KKR still have their fate in their own hands.

Back-to-back wins for the first time in two seasons has given RCB’s quest for a maiden IPL title a fresh lease of life, albeit them needing other results to go their way.

However, it was the Kohli-De Villiers show after that.

Chasing a tricky target of 182, after Rishabh Pant (61 off 34) and Abhishek Sharma (46 off 19) let loose, Bangalore were reduced to 18/2 within three overs. But he has turned to be the lone performer for the side.

Backed by some good fielding, Umesh Yadav (3/23) came up with an impressive bowling effort up front to destabilise the Punjab innings. The team India pacer has picked up 14 wickets in 11 games. The visitors eventually won the contest by ten wickets and in the 9th over. Rahul and Gayle are at the crease.

The Match will commence at 8:00 PM IST. Today’s game is scheduled to be played at Holkar Stadium located in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

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