RCB kept their playoff hopes alive with huge victory over Gujarat Lions

Tags: Indian premier league 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore Vs Gujarat Lions 44th Match at Bangalore, May 14, 2016, Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gujarat Lions, Virat Kohli, Abraham Benjamin de Villiers

Published on: May 15, 2016

Scorecard | Commentary | Graphs

Virat Kohli (109) and AB de Villiers (129) smashed marvellous knocks to take the home side to a huge total of 248.

Virat Kohli (109) and AB de Villiers (129) smashed marvellous knocks to take the home side to a huge total of 248. In reply, Gujarat Lions lost wickets right from start to be bowled out on 104. Now, this 144-run win stand as a biggest victory in IPL history.

Gujarat Lions won the toss and inserted Royal Challengers Bangalore to bat first. The hosts were 19 for 1 after Chris Gayle was dismissed for his eighth successive single-digit T20 score. Then two of the best modern batsmen joined hands and displayed batting at its best which will remain in the mind of all the Cricket lovers for long. With the help of centuries from both Kohli and de Villiers, RCB went on to score 248 runs, which is second highest score in Indian Premiere League. It is only second time in T20 history and first time in IPL that couple of batsmen have scored century in the same inning. First it happened in English county in 2011. AB de Villiers attacked the Lion’s spinner’s right from start of his inning. He first smashed Shivil Kaushik for a six in the fifth over and then took charge on Pravin Tambe in the very next over. With de Villiers going like this, the stand-in Captain had only little answer to this. In the process, AB de Villiers completed his 3000-runs in IPL and become third overseas player, after Chris Gayle and David Warner to do this. At half way mark, RCB were 76 for 1 and Virat Kohli was going run-a-ball until then. 172 runs came in last 10 over and 112 in the last five. De Villiers completed his fifty off 25 balls in 12 over where the pair accumulated 22 runs with couple of boundaries and sixes. Soon after that, Kohli too reached his fifty off 39 balls. Then, Praveen Kumar returned to the attack after bowling beautifully against Gayle early but he too was dispatched for 23 runs by de Villiers and he completed his century off 43 balls. This is his third and quickest IPL century. After the 17th over, Kohli was 52 off 41 balls. Then Dwayne Bravo came in the next over where he spent as many as 30 runs and then Kaushik in the 19th costed same for Lions. Then after 19th over, Kohli was 95 off 51. Kohli smashed Tamba for six in the final over and completed his third century of this season. This is his third century in last seven games and second against Lions before being dismissed for 109 off 55.

Bangalore’s bowler attacked the opposition from get go and took wickets regularly. Arvind bowled in-form Dwayne Smith in the second over. Jadeja came out to bat at 3, instead of Aaron Finch but couldn’t do anything extraordinary. Chahal struck McCullum (11) in his opening over, de Villiers took an easy catch at long on. Dinesh Karthik (2) and Jadeja (21) were sent back in consecutive deliveries by Jordan before Chahal returned to send back Bravo for 1. Finch offered some resistance with 37 as Gujarat’s batsmen were bowled out for 104 in 18.4 overs. Jordan finished with 4 for 11.

Man of the Match: AB de Villiers

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