Mohali: Bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 22 runs in a rain-curtailed Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium (PCA) here on Wednesday.

Punjab remained at the foot of the standings with six points from 13 matches despite the win. Bangalore stayed at the fifth spot with 13 points from 12 matches.

Chasing a target of 107 runs in 10 overs, RCB managed only 84 for six. They sent their two destructive batsmen West Indian Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli to open the innings.

They began briskly picking up boundaries at every possible opportunity. But Kohli (19) in the third over was dismissed in trying to force the pace.

Gayle (17) soon followed his skipper getting caught while trying a big shot to reduce RCB to 44 for two in 4.4 overs.

With two of their best ball-bashers gone, the onus was on another renowned power hitter South African AB de Villiers (10) to lead RCB’s cause. But he departed early too putting RCB in a spot of bother at 67 for three in 6.4 overs.

They never recovered from the blow lost wickets regularly to fall short of the target by 22 runs, managing only 84 for six.

Earlier, Kings XI Punjab posted 106/6 in 10 overs.

Much before both the side’s skippers could get ready for the toss, rain halted their intentions. The toss was held at 10.30 pm, three hours later then the scheduled time. It reduced the Twenty-20 match to a 10-over per side contest.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bowl, much to the relief of the fans at the stadium.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha was promoted up the order and he opened the batting with Manan Vohra, who scored 11 in six balls.

Bengal’s right-handed batsman Saha made most of the opportunity of batting up the order, hitting 31 in just 12 balls. His knock included five fours and a six.

Australia’s World Cup hero Glenn Maxwella¿s poor form continued as he made only 10 runs.

Later, South African left-hander David Miller made 14 of four balls while skipper George Bailey and hit 13 in nine deliveries.

Young Indian all-rounder Axar Patel remained unbeaten and contributed 20 runs from 15 balls.

For the visitors, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and right-arm medium pacer Harshal Patel took two wickets each, while left-arm pacer Mictell Starc got one wicket.

(IANS)

Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Chris Gayle celebrates after competing his 100 runs during IPL 8 match against Kings XI Punjab in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Photo: Shailendra Bhojak, PTI

Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), riding high on a hurricane century by Chris Gayle, handed out a massive 138-run defeat to a spiritless and spineless Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match and moved into the fourth spot with their fifth win in 10 outings here on Wednesday.

It was a hiding of sorts as RCB piled up 226 for three which left visiting skipper George Bailey ruing his decision to field after winning the toss, and under pressure, the visitors collapsed to 88 in 13.4 overs as pacemen Mitchell Starc (4 for 15) and Sreenath Aravind (4 for 24) sliced through the line-up.

Gayle struck a brilliant 117 off 57 balls, with seven fours and 12 sixes.

For Kings XI Punjab, runners-up last season, but looking like ragtag team, it was their fifth consecutive defeat in 10 matches, leaving them at the bottom of the eight-team league with just four points with little hopes of qualifying for the playoffs.

RCB, with a massive total on the board, bowled well even as the Kings XI batsmen, barring Axar Patel (40 not out, 21b, 5×4, 2×6) showed little or no determination to even make a fight of it, much less win the game.

The early dismissals of openers Manan Vohra (2) who replaced Virender Sehwag, and Murali Vijay (2), took the wind out of Kings XI sails.

It was a regular procession thereafter before Axar Patel used the long handle, but to little effect as wickets fell in a heap at the other end.

RCB, thus, recorded their biggest IPL victory (in terms of runs), beating their previous best of 130-run win over Pune Warriors in 2013, at this very venue when Gayle smashed his highest T20 score of 175.

Earlier, it was all about Gayle and his 14th T20 century as he led a merciless onslaught on the Punjab bowlers who were made to look ordinary while the home batsmen rained 18 sixes and 14 boundaries on a balmy night when the rains stayed away.

The visiting attack had no answer to first Gayle, who was let off when on 27 with Bailey unable to get to a skier off Sandeep Sharma in the third over of the innings.

The lapse proved costly as Gayle showcased his brute power as well as a fine sense of timing to gallop to his century.

Spearhead Mitchell Johnson, bowling at some speed, leaked 43 runs in his four overs while left-arm spinner Axar Patel went for 51.

Only seamer Anureet Singh, though wicketless, looked the part, conceding just 25 runs in four overs.

Gayle and skipper Virat Kohli (32) laid the platform with a 119-run partnership for the first wicket in just 11.2 overs before the innovative de Villiers joined the Jamaican to heap more misery on Punjab bowlers.

Along with de Villiers, Gayle, who completed 3,000 runs in IPL, added 72 runs before offering a tame return catch to Patel.

The South African then took over and though he lost Dinesh Karthik (8), picked up some easy runs in the company of young Sarfaraz Khan (11 not out) to ensure RCB a winning total.

(IANS)