Kings XI 163-6 after 19.5 overs
Chawla 6, Dogra 3
What a finish to a very close match. Piyush Chawla’s eyes light up when he sees a short ball and he slaps it over deep mid-wicket for a six. The situation was tight, with two runs required off the last two balls, but Punjab have done it.
WICKETS! Kings XI 154-6 after 18.4 overs
David Hussey run out 45 (29b, 2×4, 4×6)
Abhishek Nayar run out 2 (3b, 0×4, 0×6)
Another attempt at a double ends in agony for Kings XI. And then Kohli produces a fabulous piece of fielding by sending back Nayar with another run-out. They’re not quite done and dusted yet, with wickets on their side. But these nerves at the death will surprise everyone.
WICKET! Kings XI 151-4 after 17.4 overs
Azhar Mahmood run out 2 (4b, 0×4, 0×6)
It’s touch and go as both batsmen push for a quick double. Mahmood’s bat is just short as the bails are taken off.
WICKET! Kings XI 146-3 after 16.2 overs
Nitin Saini c Vettori b Khan 50 (36b, 5×4, 0×6)
Two big sixes from Hussey have taken Punjab 13 runs closer to a win. Brilliant batting from the skipper. On the other end though, Saini has been equally good but loses his wicket to a top edge taken by Vettori. Too late for RCB?
Kings XI 122-2 after 14 overs
Saini 43, Hussey 25
Hussey wants this to get over as soon as possible. He clobbers Appanna for a four and two sixes to get the upper hand over RCB now. Tell you what, Kings XI look ‘Preity’ comfortable now.
Kings XI 98-2 after 12 overs
Saini 36, Hussey 8
The captain is out in the middle but the wicket-keeper batsman Saini has taken over the baton from Mandeep to start hitting. After a lovely boundary in the point region, he makes Hussey run intelligently to keep the score ticking.
WICKET! Kings XI 73-2 after 8.5 overs
Mandeep Singh lbw b Appanna 43 (30b, 6×4, 1×6)
Danger-man gone as Appanna tempts Singh into a sweep and he misses. That means his body is right in front of the stumps and the umpire doesn’t think twice before giving it LBW.
Kings XI 61-1 after 7 overs
Singh 42, Saini 8
Singh has run away to a quick 42 runs in 27 balls. He gets lucky with an edge which goes for four but then his next one came from a well executed flat shot past mid-wicket. Kings XI are certainly leading RCB in the runs comparison, 20 runs ahead of what their opponents were.
Put in to bat first, RCB rode on Gayle's batting to reach 158 runs. AFP
WICKET! Kings XI 38-1 after 4.4 overs
Shaun Marsh b McDonald 8 (10b, 1×4, 0×6)
Great delivery to send Marsh’s bails flying. The left-hander goes for a slog and misses the good length delivery to send RCB’s fans screaming in delight. Mandeep Singh on the other end is dealing only in boundaries. He already has one six and four fours.
Kings XI 17-0 after 2 overs
Marsh 5, Singh 9
Both batsmen attack from the off as Mandeep Singh bashes a couple of boundaries on either side of the pitch. Marsh, who will be vital to this run-chase has also scored a boundary past point.
Kings XI Punjab come out to bat
RCB 158-5 after 20 overs
Pathan 2, Tiwary 1
Four runs and two wickets from a brilliant last over by Azhar Mahmood. RCB were looking good for around 180 runs, but a late resurgence from Punjab restricts them to 158.
WICKET! RCB 155-5 after 19.3 overs
AB de Villiers c Chawla b Azhar Mahmood 17 (13b, 1×4, 1×6)
Great over from Mahmood as he tempts De Villiers with a full-toss. He takes the bait, slaps it and it ends up at mid-on.
WICKET! RCB 154-4 after 19.1 overs
AB McDonald c Saini b Azhar Mahmood 9 (10b, 1×4, 0×6)
Just a boundary for McDonald to show for in the death overs. But Mahmood has been great with the ball for Kings XI and sends him back to the hut.
WICKET! RCB 134-3 after 16.4 overs
Virat Kohli b Chawla 45 (42b, 3×4, 2×6)
He needed a solid innings and got one tonight, but Chawla’s quicker and straighter delivery finally bags Kohli’s wicket. The ball clips his thigh-pads before going towards the stumps.
WICKET! RCB 126-2 after 15.2 overs
Chris Gayle c sub (Miller) b Azhar Mahmood 71 (42b, 6×4, 4×6)
Gayle was looking ominous. He was hitting everything that came his way and after a boundary straight down the ground he tries to hook one for six. But it doesn’t go all the way and Miller takes it.
RCB 117-1 after 14 overs
Gayle 64, Kohli 43
Huge. Just monstrous from Gayle as he stands and delivers a six which has cleared the stadium. Even by his standards, that was a massive six. If anyone reports a broken windshield or something out there in Bangalore, don’t be surprised.
RCB 82-1 after 12 overs
Gayle 39, Kohli 34
Now the batsmen are really going at it. They have realised that now is the time to attack. First Gayle eyes a short ball and heaves it over long-on for six before Kolhi does the same—the only difference is that he preferred charging down the track.
RCB 59-1 after 10 overs
Gayle 28, Kohli 24
Great 10th over for RCB. Kohli is into his stride now…looking confident with every delivery and every boundary he hits. After Gayle’s huge six, Kohli pulls away a short length delivery for four. These two are looking good at the moment.
RCB 37-1 after 7 overs
Gayle 18, Kohli 12
It is not the best start for RCB. Far from it actually, but these two batsmen have been taking on some very good bowling from Kings XI. Kohli needs a big innings and a four past the cover region will set him on his way.
RCB 24-1 after 4 overs
Gayle 14, Kohli 3
Finally Gayle decides to take things in his hands. He turns his wrists and swats a four past mid-wicket before getting a leading edge for four more. He is not done though the big man, as he pulls away another boundary.
WICKET! RCB 7-1 after 1.3 overs
Mayank Agarwal b Harris 7 (9b, 0×4, 1×6)
What a delivery! After being slammed for six over the covers on his very first delivery, Harris uproots Agarwal’s off-stump…it almost ends up in Saini’s gloves.
RCB 1-0 after 1 over
Agarwal 1, Gayle 0
Pretty tight from Kumar. Just one run from the last ball of the first over.
Kings XI have won the toss and will bowl first
Royal Challengers Bangalore: Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Saurabh Tiwary, Andrew McDonald, Daniel Vettori, Vinay Kumar, Asad Pathan, Zaheer Khan, KP Appanna
Kings XI Punjab: Nitin Saini, Mandeep Singh, Shaun Marsh, David Hussey, Azhar Mahmood, Paras Dogra, Abhishek Nayar, Ryan Harris, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Parvinder Awana
