IPL 2015 KKR v RCB Highlights: Chris Gayle's Fiery 96 Helps Bangalore Win Nervy Battle
Chris Gayle hit 96 off 56 balls to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to a three-wicket win. Catch all the highlights of the match.
Royal Challengers Bangalore down Kolkata Knight Riders in the defending champions' own backyard. Catch all the highlights here (Scorecard | Schedule | Stats | IPL 2015 Full Coverage):
23:30 (IST): That's it! Royal Challengers Bangalore win the battle of nerves as they register a three-wicket win with six balls to spare. Chasing a challenging 178 for a win, RCB rode Gayle 96 of 56 balls to post a close win over KKR at Eden Gardens in their first match. Gayle's thunderous knock included seven fours and as many sixes. Yusuf Pathan (2/40) was the pick of KKR bowlers.
23:26 (IST): WICKET! What an effort from Pandey! Gayle gives himself some space to hit and heaves this to deep mid-wicket. It was surely going to the fence but Pandey comes in from nowhere and makes s brilliant stop to keep the ball in play. Gayle meanwhile decides to take the second as he runs back. The throw is at the striker's end and a flat one which sees Gayle make a full stretched dive. he his well short though and Gayle is a goner.
23:20 (IST): SIX! Boom! In the slot on off, Gayle hammers this back over the bowler Morne Morkel's head for a maximum.
23:13 (IST): WICKET! Sean Abbott run out (Morne Morkel). Bangalore have lost their sixth wicket.
23:06 (IST): OUT! Stumped by miles! Tosses up and gives it some air around off, Sammy is tempted to heave this but he gets trapped right into Shakib's plan as he gets beaten by the spin. Robbie is up in a flash as he stumps him out.
23:00 (IST): Chris Gayle reaches his 17th fifty of 37 balls. The focus will be on him as Bangalore still need a mountain to climb.
22:49 (IST): WICKET! Cariappa has the last laugh! Quicker and skids around off, AB de Villiers, who had hit him for a couple of fours and six earlier in the over, comes down the track and looks to run it down but misses. Robin Uthappa gathers the ball and stumps him out.
22:36 (IST): WICKET! Yusuf Pathan strikes again. Poor shot! Tossed up on off and spun back into the batsman. Mandeep Singh goes for the reverse sweep but misses the ball completely as the ball goes onto hit the furniture. Pathan gets his second scalp of the over.
22:33 (IST): WICKET! Yusuf Pathan does the trick! Quicker and spins back into the batsman. Karthik on the back foot looks to cut it away but misses and the ball crashes his into his stumps.
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22:21 (IST): WICKET! Morne Morkel strikes and skipper has got to go! Well directed short ball around leg, Kohli goes for the pull shot but some extra bounce and pace did the trick and has done him too. The ball kisses the gloves and Uthappa takes a dolly.
22:13 (IST): FOUR! Safe shot! Back of a length ball on middle, Gayle does not quite middle his pull but the ball runs away to the long on fence.
22:10 (IST): SIX! Dismisses it! What a sound that made the moment it left the bat. Morne Morkel bowls a short ball and Kohli pulls it to the mid-wicket fence for a biggie.
22:00 (IST): Virat Kohli opens the batting with Chris Gayle.
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21:47 (IST): Andre Russell smashes another boundary to help Kolkata Knight Riders post a challenging 177 for six. Russell faced 17 balls for his unbeaten 41. Earlier, Gautam Gambhir hit his second consecutive fifty, 58 off 46 balls.
21:37 (IST): SIX! Russell unleashes! Full and on off, Russell clears his front leg and heaves high and away into the mid-wicket stands for a boundary.
21:25 (IST): WICKET! Another one bites the dust! Fullish ball on off, Pandey gets his bat down as the ball hits the stumps at the striker's end and deflects to covers. Kohli stationed there throws it at the striker's end, a direct hit. There is a major mix up and Pandey is way off his crease half way down the track. Pandey has to go.
21:23 (IST): OUT! Straight to the man! Harshal bowls fuller in length around middle and leg, Surya Kumar Yadav spots in his half and swings hard but the ball instead of travelling goes high in the air at deep square leg. Mandeep again in the action takes another catch.
21:12 (IST): FOUR! Easily done! Abbott bowls short and outside off, Suryakumar Yadav waits for it on the back foot and plays it late and fine for a one bounce boundary.
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21:06 (IST): WICKET! Finally they have cupped one to send Gambhir back in the hut! Flighted on middle and leg, Gambhir goes for the big slog but gets a top edge that travels all the way to deep mid-wicket. Mandeep Singh stationed there settles under it and takes it with ease off Chahal. Well played nonetheless, skipper!
20:59 (IST): FIFTY! Gambhir drops it on the off side and takes a quick single to reach his 25th IPL fifty.
20:53 (IST): WICKET! Abu Nechim strikes and Bangalore get the breakthrough! Short ball across off, Uthappa looks to pull it but the ball gets high on him and takes the top edge. The ball balloons high up in the air towards long on as Sammy settles under it and gobbles up the catch.
20:51 (IST): FOUR! Put away! Low full toss on off, Gambhir likes it there as he sends it packing to the mid-wicket fence for a boundary off Chahal.
20:41 (IST): Dropped! A rare sight! Short ball around off, Gautam Gambhir pulls it but straight to AB de Villiers at deep square leg. de Villiers though fumbles and puts it down. Dropped on 31.
20:37 (IST): FOUR! Edged and runs away! Bouncer on middle and leg, Gambhir looks for the pull as the bat finds the top edge to the fine leg fence for a boundary.
20:20 (IST): FOUR! Eased away! On the pads and Gambhir loves it there, he flicks it to the square leg fence for a boundary.
20:12 (IST): SIX! Pure timing! Abbott bowls a fullish and angling in on the pads, Gambhir flicks it off his pads and it goes all the way into the mid-wicket stands for a maximum.
20:03 (IST): Sean Abbott starts with an expensive 13-run over. Robin Uthappa and Gautam Gambhir both got off the mark with fours. Harshal Patel joins Abbott.
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19:40 (IST): TEAMS
Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Andre Russell, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Kishan Cariappa
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle, Mandeep Singh, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik, AB de Villiers, Darren Sammy, Sean Abbott, Harshal Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Aaron, Abu Nechim
19:32 (IST): TOSS! Virat Kohli wins the toss and Royal Challengers Bangalore will bowl first. Kishan Cariappa replaces Umesh Yadav in Kolkata Knight Riders playing XI.
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Bangalore's Testing Opener
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Royal Challengers Bangalore will find themselves under tremendous pressure when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Winning two titles in last three seasons and having achieved a 14-match winning streak in 2014, the Gautam Gambhir-led team has established an aura of invincibility. (Read More)
Narine Big Threat to Kohli & Co.
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Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli praised Kolkata Knight Riders spin spearhead Sunil Narine calling him a 'class act'. Bowling with a remodelled action, Narine who played a key role in Knights' twin IPL triumphs, went wicketless against Mumbai Indians in the opening match of the tournament at the Eden on Wednesday. Is he the safe mystery bowler? (Read More)
Kohli Hits Out at Media
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Meanwhile, Kohli has been letting off some steam in Kolkata by slamming the media for 'hurtful' treatment for his failure in India's World Cup semi-final loss against Australia in Sydney. RCB will be happy to see him scoring runs with the same fury against the Knight Riders tonight. Kohli can take a cue from Brendon McCullum, who scored the first century of the IPL.(Read More)
Royal Challengers have beaten Knight Riders six times in the 14 games the two sides have played against each other in the IPL. This is truly a battle of the titans.