IPL 8, RCB vs KXIP Highlights: Sreenath Aravind, Mitchell Starc Leave Kings XI Punjab Chase of 227 in Complete Shambles
Royal Challengers Bangalore moved up to fourth after crushing Kings XI Punjab, thanks to Chris Gayle's hundred and four-wicket hauls by Mitchell Starc and S. Aravind. Catch highlights from the match here.
Chasing 227, Kings XI Punjab were never in the game. Their big guns - Glenn Maxwell, David Miller and George Bailey failed. Royal Challengers Bangalore bowled with a lot of heart to register a massive win. Here are the highlights from the match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. (SCORECARD | Points Table | Stats) (All Times IST)
23.03: Finally, a wicket for Chahal and that's the end of that. Royal Challengers Bangalore win by 138 runs, to move fourth on the points table.
22.58: This will be KXIP's eighth defeat in 10 games - they have managed only two wins. This is a steep fall after the highs of last year.
22.50: WICKET! Fourth for Starc and KXIP are 65/9 in the 11th over. RCB are on the verge of a massive win.
22.48: KXIP have avoided the humiliation of recording the lowest-ever total in IPL but they could still be looking at the heaviest defeat in the history of the tournament.
22.41: Starc picks up two wickets in three balls to dismiss Johnson and Anureet - KXIP are 49/8 and in real danger of being bowled out for the lowest total in IPL. This could also be the heaviest defeat in IPL history.
22.30: What a disaster this is for the Kings XI. Aravind has snared his fourth wicket to remove Bailey and KXIP are in a mess at 39/6 off 7.1 overs, chasing 227 vs RCB.
22.25: Another one for Aravind as he removes David Miller for 7. KXIP are reeling at 34/5 in six overs, chasing 227 vs Royal Challengers Bangalore. Can Bailey give his team some sort of respectability.
22.21: The task is cut out for KXIP now as Saha (13) falls to S. Aravind. Punjab are 33/4, chasing 227 as Bailey walks in to join Miller in the middle.
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22.12: WICKET! Disaster. Kings XI Punjab have lost Glenn Maxwell for 1. This is a poor, horror start for Kings XI Punjab, who have been reduced to 20/3 in 3.1 overs, chasing 227 vs Bangalore.
22.07: KXIP rocked early. After Starc removed Manan Vohra for 2., Harshal Patel snared Murali Vijay. KXIP 19/2 in 2.2 overs, chasing 227 vs Bangalore.
21.40: Thanks to Gayle's 57-ball 117 and de Villiers' unbeaten 47 helps RCB post a mammoth 226/3 in 20 overs vs Kings XI Punjab.
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21.28: Gayle became the fastest to reach 3000 runs in IPL. The Jamaican had come under criticism for his poor form but the West Indian opener silenced his critics with one of the finest hundreds you will ever see in T20 cricket.
21.25: WICKET! That's the end of Gayle. What a knock. A stunning return catch saw the back of Gayle but not before he had clobbered 117 off 57 balls to leave Kings XI Punjab gasping for breath. RCB 190/2 in 17 overs.
21.19: There has been no respite for KXIP's bowlers. After Kohli's exit, Ab de Villiers came out all guns blazing to reach 31 off 16 balls. RCB are 179/1 off 16 overs.
21.11: Gayle blasts hundred off 46 balls. RCB are 146/1 with Ab de Villiers in the middle vs Punjab. This is complete carnage.
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20:58: WICKET! That's the end of Kohli as Sandeep Sharma disturbs his timber. The RCB skipper's dismissal for 32 brings de Villiers to the middle with Gayle.
20.48: It's a party in Bangalore. Chris Gayle has been on the rampage and now Kohli has joined forces too. This is outrageous batting by these two. RCB 89/0 in 9 overs.
20.40: The last thing you want to be tonight? A Kings XI Punjab bowler, for Gayle is looking as destructive as ever. And Kohli is beginning to look dangerous as well as he smothers Maxwell to the fence off his first delivery. AND, there's AB de Villiers due in next.
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20.38: Not very often has Kohli been reduced to a mere onlooker - but that's exactly what's happening in Bangalore tonight as the injured Gayle storms back into brutal form.
20.31: Gayle hammers 19th fifty and he gets there off just 22 balls. What a knock this has been by the big man. RCB 66/0 in 5.3 overs.
20.26: Gayle is powering along at the rate of knots. Luckily for KXIP, the ball touched the wire of the Spyder Cam and the umpire called it a dead ball. RCB 58/0 in 5 overs.
20.21: Complete mayhem in Bangalore. As if Gayle himself was not enough, Kohli has started to cut loose and playing some delightful shots on all sides of the wicket. Punjab, already bottom of the table, must be nervous, very nervous.
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20:15: Gayle storm hits Punjab! Gayle smashes Sandeep for another six and another four as Bangalore race away to 45/0 in three overs.
20.11: SIX! That's number three for Gayle as Kohli remains a mere spectator at the other end. DROPPED! Bailey ran after another skier from Gayle but the ball popped out and rolled over to the fence.
20:09: Sensational from Chris Gayle. He did say he wanted to entertain the fans tonight and look how he has started. 20 runs off that Johnson over. Two fours and two sixes. RCB 21/0 in 2 overs.
20:05: After a watchful start against Sandeep Sharma, Gayle has gone ballistic; he carted Johnson for four six, and six. This is imperial stuff from the Jamaican. The world's most feared T20 batsman against the world's most feared bowler.
19.55: Chris Gayle, who is back for RCB, says he wants to entertain the fan. Can he, will he?
19.41: Here are the playing XIs:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Gayle, Kohli (Captain), de Villiers, Mandeep, Karthik (WK), Khan, Wiese, Starc, Harshal, Chahal, Aravind
Kings XI Punjab: Vijay, Vohra, Maxwell, Miller, Bailey (Captain), Saha (WK), Patel, Johnson, Anureet, Sandeep, Karanveer
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19.38: Kings XI Punjab have a lot of catching up to do. If they lose tonight, they are as good as out of the tournament. It will be a sad way for last year's runners-up to exit.
19.31: Kings XI Punjab opt to bowl vs Royal Challengers Bangaloe. KXIP have dropped Virender Sehwag while Bangalore have included Chris Gayle.
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Bangalore were on a high recently after securing successive wins. Their euphoria was curbed however when they lost their previous match to Chennai Super Kings. It was a contest in which Bangalore were guilty of gifting the match away despite halting a brave batting unit to just 148. Hurting from that defeat, the side would look to hit back hard. The bowling - as seen in the match against Chennai - is capable of dismantling big names with ease. The likes of Mitchell Starc and young Yuzvendra Chahal can silence Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell and others. Batting would once again revolve around Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Chris Gayle was rested in the previous match but if he makes a return, Punjab's woes can increase astronomically.
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Of course, Punjab has an equal number of star performers. The problem though is that they have failed to shine and light up the path for the team. Maxwell will need to step up if Punjab are to make a match of it while Sehwag's jagged form at the top will remain a concern. The other opener in Murali Vijay hit a well-measured 39 off 34 in the match against Mumbai but needs more support. The middle-order will once again revolve around David Miller and captain George Bailey but the star cast will count for little if they do not perform as a unit.
The bowling department has been led by Mitchell Johnson but just like the batting - the bowling has not been much to talk about. Overall, this is a battle between two teams who have the some of the best and biggest names in international cricket. How they plan and play against each other will determine whether there is an upset or an outright carnage.