IPL, Highlights: RCB vs KXIP - Virat Kohli's Fourth Ton Helps RCB Dismantle KXIP By 82 Runs (D/L)

After being put in to bat, Royal Challengers Bangalore got off to a magnificent start as the duo of Virat Kohli-Chris Gayle plundered the Kings XI bowlers all around the park and put on a 147-run stand for the first wicket. Gayle then got out but Kohli continued the fireworks and brought up his fourth ton of the season to propel the hosts to 211/4. In reply, the tourists lost wickets at regular intervals in an attempt to keep up with the escalating run-rate and as a result, Virat Kohli-led RCB cruised to their seventh win comprehensively. Catch all the highlights of this match here. (SCORECARD | POINTS TABLE | IPL NEWS | PLAY FANTASY LEAGUE)

00:45 hrs IST: That's it. Thank you for joining us. See you all tonight for the match between Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders. Until then, it's goodbye. Cheers! 

Virat Kohli (Man of the Match and RCB skipper): "When all that was happening out there, I thought surely I can't get a 100 in 15 overs. I wasn't believing that it was happening. Chris, looked dangerous in the last game, he was in the zone again today. Everything is coming together. In the previous tournaments, we panicked. But hopefully we can continue what we have been doing."

Murali Vijay (KXIP skipper): "We thought 180 could have been chased down, but credit to them for the way they played. It's difficult to bowl to those two (Gayle and Kohli), and we weren't good enough today. We want to finish on a high, we will play out heart out in our last game."

With this win, Royal Challengers Bangalore jumped to second spot in 2016 Indian Premier League standings.

© BCCI

00:30 hrs IST: It's all over. RCB thrash KXIP by 82 runs (D/L) to jump to the second spot in 2016 IPL standings. 

00:27 hrs IST: It's raining again.

00:22 hrs IST: OUT! Mohit run out 14(12). 

00:19 hrs IST: KXIP now require 107 off 18 balls. 

00:14 hrs IST: Five runs off Gayle's first. KXIP now require 122 off 30 balls. It's all over for them now. 

00:09 hrs IST: Another WICKET! Abbott c de Villiers b Chahal 0(1). KXIP now require 132 off 37 balls. 

00:06 hrs IST: OUT! Behradien c de Villiers b Chahal 0(1). 

00:02 hrs IST: WICKET! Axar c Kohli b Watson 13(9). 

23:59 hrs IST: Expensive over from Aaron. 17 runs off it. KXIP now require 136 off 48 balls. 

23:57 hrs IST: FOUR! Short and wide from Aaron and Gurkeerat cuts it well past the fielder at point for a boundary. 

23:55 hrs IST: SIX! Length ball from Aaron and Axar lofts it over long-on for a maximum. 

23:54 hrs IST: Wow! 

.@imVkohli today surpassed @ImRaina as the all-time leading run scorer at #IPL pic.twitter.com/cKajj36fpx

- IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2016

23:53 hrs IST: Tidy over from Watson. Just five off it. KXIP are 59/4 after 6 overs. 

23:48 hrs IST: Another WICKET! Kings XI in all sorts of trouble now. Miller c de Villiers b Watson 3(6). 

23:42 hrs IST: OUT! Amla c Jordan b Aravind 9(6). KXIP are 53/3 in 4.4 overs. 

23:37 hrs IST: In walks Miller at number four. KXIP are 44/2 after 4 overs. 

23:36 hrs IST: WICKET! Saha lbw Chahal 24(10). 

It could have been a no-ball but Yuzi gets the benefit of the doubt! PHEW! #RCBvKXIP #PlayBold

- Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) May 18, 2016

23:33 hrs IST: Three boundaries in a row for Saha. He looks in good form. 

23:31 hrs IST: Consecutive boundaries for Saha. KXIP are 31/1 after 3 overs. 

23:25 hrs IST: OUT! Vijay b Aravind 16(8). 

23:23 hrs IST: SIX! Length ball from Aravind, Vijay gets into position and thumps it over deep backward square leg for a maximum. 

23:22 hrs IST: Single of the last ball for Vijay. KXIP are 11/0 after first over. 

23:19 hrs IST: Consecutive boundaries for Vijay. 

Virat Kohli slammed his fourth hundred of the season as Royal Challengers Bangalore scored a massive 211/3 against Kings XI Punjab.

© BCCI

23:17 hrs IST: Vijay to take strike. Binny to bowl the first over. 

23:03 hrs IST: FOUR! And that's the end of the innings. RCB finish on 211/3. Sheer masterclass from Kohli! Take a bow! We'll be back in a few minutes time. 

22:58 hrs IST: Mohit Sharma to bowl the final over. 

22:57 hrs IST: WICKET! Kohli c Miller b Sandeep 113(50). RCB are 199/3 after 14 overs. 

22:54 hrs IST: FOUR! And that's hundred for Kohli this season. What a player! He just gets better with every game. Brilliant! 

22:51 hrs IST: RCB are 181/2 after 13 overs. 

22:48 hrs IST: FOUR! Mohit just misses the length and Kohli pulls it well past the fielder at short fine-leg. 4th hundred of the season is coming up! 

22:47 hrs IST: FOUR! Full-toss from Mohit and Kohli sweetly times it to wide long-on region. He moves to 85 now. 

22:45 hrs IST: FOUR! First boundary for Rahul. RCB are 166/2 after 12 overs. 

22:41 hrs IST: WICKET! de Villiers b Abbott 0(2). RCB are 154/2 after 11.4 overs. It's time for second strategic time-out. 

22:38 hrs IST: SIX! 

22:37 hrs IST: OUT! Gayle c Miller b Axar 73(32). RCB are 147/1 after 11 overs. 

The Universe Boss delivered a rollicking 73 (32b)! He falls to Axar, #RCB 147/1 in 11 overs #RCBvKXIP #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/S8yEZ48otd

- Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) May 18, 2016

22:36 hrs IST: Three sixes from Gayle. This is sheer carnage from RCB. 

22:32 hrs IST: Consecutive sixes for Kohli. 11 sixes in the innings now. RCB are 129/0 after 10 overs. 

22:29 hrs IST: Consecutive sixes for Gayle and it's fifty for him. His 19th in IPL. RCB are 111/0 after 9 overs. 

Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli celebrate after reaching their fifties against Kings XI Punjab.

© BCCI

22:27 hrs IST: Single and that's fifty for Kohli. His 25th in IPL. 

9 stitches in his hand and still tearing the bowling apart! Virat is unbelievable! #RCBvKXIP #PlayBold pic.twitter.com/d27ONOhipk

- Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) May 18, 2016

22:25 hrs IST: FOUR! Juicy full-toss from Abbott and Gayle clobbers it overs covers for his fourth boundary. RCB are 93/0 after 8 overs. 

22:23 hrs IST: FOUR! Fullish delivery from Abbott, Kohli dances down the track and smashes it to deep extra cover for one bounce four. 

22:20 hrs IST: Consecutive sixes for Kohli. Costly over from Cariappa. 19 runs off it. RCB are 82/0 after 7 overs. They can surely get to 170 now. 

22:14 hrs IST: Consecutive boundaries for Kohli. RCB are 63/0 after 6 overs. It's time for strategic time-out. 

22:12 hrs IST: Axar Patel now. 

22:10 hrs IST: SIX! Fuller delivery from Cariappa and Kohli lofts it so easily over mid-off for a maximum. RCB are 53/0 after 5 overs. 

22:09 hrs IST: SIX and a FOUR for Gayle. He is on fire now! 

22:08 hrs IST: 18 runs off Abbott's over. RCB are 35/0 after 4 overs. 

22:05 hrs IST: This is brilliant from Gayle. Two SIXES and a FOUR off Abbott. RCB slowly but surely gaining momentum. 

22:00 hrs IST: FOUR! Length delivery from Sandeep and Kohli hits it well over the bowler's head for another boundary. RCB are 17/0 after 3 overs. 

That is what a tracer bullet probably goes like! Straight hit for four right back past Sandeep Sharma from Kohli! #RCBvKXIP #PlayBold

- Royal Challengers (@RCBTweets) May 18, 2016

21:58 hrs IST: Sandeep to continue. 

21:57 hrs IST: Dot ball to finish off. RCB are 11/0 after 2 overs. 

21:56 hrs IST: FOUR! Length ball from Mohit and Gayle smacks it over mid-wicket for a one bounce four.

21:52 hrs IST: Mohit Sharma into the attack now. 

21:51 hrs IST: FOUR! Back of a length delivery from Sandeep and Kohli punches it past covers for his first boundary. RCB are 5/0 after first over. Follow live cricket score of RCB vs KXIP here 

21:50 hrs IST: Single, and its the first runs of the night for Gayle. 

21:48 hrs IST: Little bit of swing for birthday boy Sandeep early on. 

21:45 hrs IST: It's time for live action. Kohli and Gayle make their way out in the middle. Sandeep to start the proceedings for Kings XI. 

21:37 hrs IST: Here are the playing XI of both teams: 

RCB: Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, KL Rahul (wk), Sachin Baby, Stuart Binny, Chris Jordan, Varun Aaron, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sreenath Aravind 

KXIP: Murali Vijay (c), Hashim Amla, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Axar Patel, Kyle Abbott, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, KC Cariappa

21:32 hrs IST: KXIP skipper Murali Vijay wins the toss and elects to bowl first. It's going to be a 15-over game. 

21:30 hrs IST: Wow wow! Toss in two minutes from now. The match starts at 21:45 hrs IST. 

21:05 hrs IST: The umpires will have an inspection in 20 minutes from now. 

20:46 hrs IST: Good news. The rain has stopped. 

20:35 hrs IST: "Because all I sort of remember was it was likely getting hit in the face by a truck. It was pretty quick." Who said these lines and what actually happened? Read here. 

20:11 hrs IST: The cut-off time for the match being called off is 11:35 pm. 

20:05 hrs IST: It's still drizzling and the covers are on. Follow live cricket score of RCB vs KXIP here  

20:02 hrs IST: Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma has bought a sprawling 7,5000 sq-ft villa, in a residential project in Khandala, owned by a Bollywood actor's company. 

19:48 hrs IST: If it's a washout tonight then RCB can only get to a maximum of 15 points and they'll have to wait for the results of the other matches, especially the GL-KKR and MI-GL game. 

19:45 hrs IST: STAT ATTACK - Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have put on 7 hundred plus stands in T20s - the most by any pair across the format. 

19:40 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has finally opened up on his comparisons with the Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar. 

Kings XI Punjab mentor Virender Sehwag enjoys the rain ahead of RCB-KXIP match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

© BCCI

19:34 hrs IST: The rain has slowed down a bit but it's still a constant drizzle. Follow live cricket score of RCB vs KXIP here  

19:18 hrs IST: It's not looking good at all! 

It's pouring at the moment in Bengaluru #RCBvKXIP #VIVOIPLhttps://t.co/wCXaHHrehj

- IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2016

19:06 hrs IST: Bad news folks. It's raining heavily in Bengaluru and the toss, which is 24 minutes from now, is all but likely to get delayed. 

19:05 hrs IST: A warm welcome to our live coverage of this all important clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab at M Chinnaswamy stadium. 

Kings XI Punjab's Marcus Stoinis has been ruled out of 2016 Indian Premier League.

© BCCI

Teams like Kings XI Punjab and Rising Pune Supergiants, with no hopes of making the last four, can be dangerous at this stage of the IPL.

On Tuesday night in Visakhapatnam, RPS dented Delhi Daredevils hopes of securing a playoff berth with a 19-run win in a rain-hit match. RCB will have to be cautious against KXIP.

RCB will love to flex their batting muscle again. The back-to-back wins against Gujarat Lions and Kolkata Knight Riders were largely due to their top batsmen and the focus tonight will be on RCB's top four - Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers and Shane Watson.

KXIP will be weakened by the absence of Glenn Maxwell. Marcus Stoinis has also pulled out of the tournament due to "personal reasons."

While Maxwell was in poor form, Aussie fast bowling all-rounder Stoinis had a productive run - 146 runs in five innings with a strike rate of 135.18 and eight wickets with a career-best of 4 for 15 against Mumbai Indians.

The good news is that KXIP skipper Murali Vijay is in form, Hashim Amla scored a 96 to boost his confidence and David Miller will like to leave a good impact on the owners.

Considering that KXIP have a good seam attack - Mohit Sharma and Sandeep Sharma - RCB will be not take this game lightly.