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Bengaluru: With just over 24 hours to go for the much-awaited Indian Premier League (IPL) summit clash, all eyes will be on the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengluru which will host the exciting battle between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). Led by an inspirational Virat Kohli, RCB will be hoping to get the monkey off their back after failing to win in both their previous attempts — 2009 and 2011 — and also relish the opportunity of bagging their maiden IPL trophy in front of a vociferous home crowd. On the other hand, having managed to reach the play-offs just once in their debut season in 2013, Hyderabad will bank on their bowling prowess and skipper David Warner, who single-handedly pulled off an improbable four-wicket victory against Gujarat Lions in the second qualifier at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium on Friday. Struggling to find consistency in the league phase, Bangalore made a stunning comeback to register five consecutive wins before reaching their third final. RCB dished out five clinical performances to beat the Gujarat Lions (by 144 runs), Kolkata Knight Riders (by 9 wickets), Kings XI Punjab (by 82 runs D/L method), Delhi Daredevils (by 6 wickets) and Gujarat (by 4 wickets) again in the first Qualifier to seal their place in the title clash. [caption id=“attachment_2733880” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational photo. BCCI[/caption] RCB’s success story centred around skipper Kohli and AB de Villiers’s glorious run with the willow. With 919 runs under his belt, Kohli has amassed four centuries and six fifties in this edition so far to be the highest run-getter while the South African is the third highest scorer in the league with 682 runs, including one century and six half-centuries. After struggling to strike form in the early stages of the tournament, Kohli’s opening partner Chris Gayle has found his touch at the right juncture while young keeper-batsman KL Rahul has been a revelation for the team in this edition. Despite all-rounder Shane Watson not getting much opportunity to show his prowess with the bat in the 15 matches, the veteran Australian has led the side’s weakened bowling unit with 20 wickets so far alongwith young leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal who also has as many wickets but from 12 games. England’s Chris Jordan has also joined the party in helping RCB in containing their rivals in the death overs. Sunday’s match would also give RCB an opportunity to avenge their 15-run loss to Sunrisers in the last clash between the two teams. On the flip side, coming into the final on the back of two high profile wins — first against two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders by 22 runs in the eliminator and then against Lions in the second qualifier, the visitors will go all out to clinch their maiden trophy. Like their rivals, the visitors have also found an inspiring leader in Warner, who is next to Kohli to be the second highest run-getter with 779 runs from 16 games including eight fifties so far. Besides Warner, Sunrisers also have the likes of Shikhar Dhawan (473 runs), the experienced Yuvraj Singh, Moises Henriques, Deepak Hooda, Naman Ojha and big-hitting all-rounder Ben Cutting in the batting department. More than the batting, the side’s pace bowling strength has been a challenge for the opposition in this edition. Despite losing veteran Ashish Nehra midway due to an injury, young pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar is leading the wicket-takers’ chart with 23 wickets from 16 games, while Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman (16 wickets from 15 matches), has also lived up to his skipper’s expectations whenever he has been handed the ball. Sunrisers will be hoping Rahman turns up fit for Sunday’s game after sitting out the second qualifier owing to a hamstring niggle. Left-arm pacer Barinder Sran has also come of age in the limited opportunities he has had while left-arm spinner Bipul sharma will look to be impressive again in beating the likes of Kohli, Gayle and de Villiers.
IPL 2016 final, RCB vs SRH as it happened: Warner triumphs over Kohli
Catch the live updates of the IPL 2016 grand finale between RCB and SRH at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru here.
 "IPL 2016 final, RCB vs SRH as it happened: Warner triumphs over Kohli")
Another award for Kohli — Most Valuable Player award!
Kohli: Dont want to bore the winning team now as they deserve to do the talking.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar wins the Purple Cap award for most wickets (23).
Bhuvi: Would like appreaciate the way I picked up in the latter stages. That (the death overs) was the area I was really looking to develop. (On Mustafizur) I’ve said it before that he is the toughest bowler to hit.
CHAMPIONS! Warner, Cutting star as #SRH lift maiden #IPL title after 8-run win over #RCB. What a match. #RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/Sgtg0OC7qG
— Firstpost Sports (@FirstpostSports) May 29, 2016
Sachin couldn't win all matches for India Single Handedly....
— Babu Bhaiya (@Shahrcasm) May 29, 2016
How can Virat !!#RCBvSRH #IPLfinal
Sunrisers Hyderabad. What a terrific bowling-powered campaign #RCBvSRH #IPLfinal
— Arun Venugopal (@scarletrun) May 29, 2016
RCB always the bridesmaid.
— Rashi (@rashi_kakkar) May 29, 2016
Never the bride!
3rd #IPLfinal for RCB. No trophy yet!#RCBvSRH
After 20 overs,Bangalore 200/7 ( Sachin Baby 18 , Iqbal Abdulla 4)
Bhuvi to bowl the final over of IPL 2016! Jordan gets a single off the first. Baby vs Bhuvi now! Two off the next ball, with Baby sending the ball high towards the vacant backward square-leg off a low full-toss. 15 needed off four. OUT! Superb yorker by Bhuvi in the third ball, with Baby sending it towards the keeper and scooting off for a quick single. Jordan however, isn’t quick enough, and is caught well short of his crease to depart for 3. Abdulla is the new batsman, and can only get a leg bye in the fourth ball. 14 needed off the last two, and the situation is nearly impossible for Baby now. Unless Bhuvi concedes a wide or a no-ball. Dot off the fifth ball. And Warner is pumped up! FOUR! Baby sends it down towards fine-leg as Sunrisers pull off an 8-run win!
After 19 overs,Bangalore 191/6 ( Sachin Baby 15 , Chris Jordan 2)
OUT! Binny sends the first ball of the penultimate over down towards long-on, and is caught well short of his crease while returning for the second. Made the fatal mistake of looking to his back, and is ultimately run-out despite a dive! Jordan walks out to bat — for the first time this tournament — and miscues it towards deep point. DROPPED! Sran drops the easiest of catches, as Jordan survives first ball, getting a couple instead. Big shout for an lbw in the fourth, with Jordan getting away with a bye. Full-toss off the fifth ball, with Baby sending it down the ground. Warner however, pulls off a superb piece of fielding near the boundary to save four runs for his side! SIX! What a way for Baby to end the over! Lofts the full delivery over long-on to bring RCB back into the game! RCB need 18 off the last six balls, and Bhuvi sure as hell won’t look to give anything away!
After 18 overs,Bangalore 179/5 ( Sachin Baby 7 , Stuart Binny 8)
Bhuvi returns to the attack, and starts off with a terrific yorker, to which Binny has no answer. Single off the next two deliveries. Another yorker from hell in the fourth delivery! Clever variation by Bhuvi, anticipating a ramp shot by Binny, and pitching it wide outside off. FOUR! Baby spoils a superb over by reverse-paddling the last ball of the over between third man and backward point! RCB need 30 off the last 12.
After 17 overs,Bangalore 172/5 ( Sachin Baby 2 , Stuart Binny 7)
Fizz returns to the attack, and starts off with a terrific yorker! Watson would’ve been happy to survive the ball. Two off the second, before Watson holes out to Henriques at extra-cover after miscuing an off-cutter from Mustafizur in the third. The Fizz has finally struck, and the dismissal couldn’t have come at a better stage! Watson departs for 11 off 9, as the SRH personnel are visibly pumped up at the moment! Binny walks out to the centre, and lofts over the bowler’s head for a straight, flat six! What a way for the local boy to get off the mark! Full-toss to end the over, with Binny getting a single to retain strike. 10 off the over, including the wicket of Watson, as RCB need 37 off the last 18 balls.
After 16 overs,Bangalore 162/4 ( Shane Watson 9 , Sachin Baby 1)
Cutting into the attack for his final over. Singles traded in the first two balls to start with. OUT! Ben Cutting strikes again, this time cutting Rahul’s innings short! Cutter from cutting, and Rahul misses the line of the delivery completely, getting his off-stump rattled! Second wicket for Cutting, as RCB are fast losing out on able batsmen now! Sachin Baby walks out to bat now! Brilliant over by Cutting at this stage, conceding just four and getting a wicket! RCB need 47 to win from 24 balls, with six wickets in hand!
After 15 overs,Bangalore 158/3 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 10 , Shane Watson 7)
Henriques in for his third over, and keeps it tight for the first four balls, giving away just three. SIX! Watson relieves some of the pressure off his back! Hammers the cutter from his compatriot straight down the ground! Dot to end the over, with nine coming off it. 51 needed off the last 30 for RCB!
After 14 overs,Bangalore 149/3 ( Lokesh Rahul (W) 8 , Shane Watson 0)
FOUR! First boundary for Rahul, as he sweeps it towards backward square-leg. OUT! Game on now! AB de Villiers comes down the track, and miscues the ball towards extra-cover where Henriques holds on to the catch! Departs for 5, as Bipul gets the much-needed wicket of ABD! The momentum is firmly with SRH now! 8 runs and a big wicket in the 14th over, with RCB needing 60 off 36 now. Watson is the new batsman at the crease now.
Well bowled Bipul. Infuses life into the game. #IPL9 #IPL2016 #RCBvSRH
— Suneer (@suneerchowdhary) May 29, 2016
After 13 overs,Bangalore 141/2 ( AB de Villiers 4 , Lokesh Rahul (W) 1)
Virat Kohli brings up YET ANOTHER FIFTY (his seventh of the tournament along with four centuries) off the second ball of Sran’s third over. Comes down the track and sends the ball over the extra-cover fence! Couple off the next two balls, with Kohli and ABD displaying some terrific running between the wickets. BOWLED HIM! Sran, of all the bowlers, gets Kohli’s wicket, with the latter advancing down the track, and getting an inside edge onto his stumps! Kohli departs for 54 off 36, falling 27 short of 1,000 runs in the tournament! KL Rahul is the new batsman at the centre, and gets off the mark with a single. RCB need 68 off 42 now.
After 12 overs,Bangalore 129/1 ( Virat Kohli (C) 44 , AB de Villiers 3)
Spin introduced for the first time. ABD off the mark with a single in the first ball, before Kohli hammers the ball towards cow-corner to move into the 40s! Four singles off the next four deliveries, as the running between the wickets has significantly improved with AB’s arrival alongside Kohli. Nine off the over, with RCB needing 80 off the 48 balls!
For matches at Chinnaswamy stadium, ICC should allow 4 fielders outside the boundary rope, 2 outside stadium and 1 outside city. #RCBvSRH
— VB (@i_Psycho) May 29, 2016
After 11 overs,Bangalore 120/1 ( Virat Kohli (C) 38 , AB de Villiers 0)
Cutting in for his third over. Gayle collects a single off the first ball, guiding the wide delivery down the track. DROPPED! Kohli miscues the second ball towards short third-man, where Fizz fails to collect the catch despite a brave leap! OUT! Finally, it is Cutting who gets the breakthrough, bringing an end to the 114-run opening stand! Gayle mis-hits the third ball while looking to slog towards wide long-on, and sends the ball towards deep third man, where Bipul judges the catch perfectly.
Gayle departs for a blistering 38-ball 76, as Cutting delivers with the ball after shining with the bat! AB de Villiers is the new batsman at the crease, and will look to finish the game from this point onwards. FOUR! Kohli despatches the leg-cutter towards backward point off the very next ball. Gets a couple off the fifth. Dot off the final ball. Eight runs and the wicket of Gayle in Cutting’s third ball. RCB need 89 off 54 now!
After 10 overs,Bangalore 112/0 ( Chris Gayle 75 , Virat Kohli (C) 31)
Warner turns to Fizz out of desperation, and the latter starts off by conceding a low full-toss outside off. Kohli ventures down the pitch, and smashes the ball through the covers! SIX! Kohli finally gets his first big hit of the day, and he is taking the Bangladeshi pace sensation to the cleaners. Comes down the track, and hammers it over long-off, with the ball travelling high into the orbit! Single off the third, with Gayle getting back the strike. Bouncer off the fourth. Much-needed improvement for Fizz, who fires a yorker in the fifth, with the Jamaican getting only a single. Dot off the last ball, with 12 coming off the over. RCB need 97 off 60 balls.
After 9 overs,Bangalore 100/0 ( Chris Gayle 74 , Virat Kohli (C) 20)
Henriques into his second over. FOUR! Kohli comes down the track, and hammers the ball down towards long-off. The ball lands just short of Warner, before clearing the ropes! Single off the second. SIX! Gayle slices the fourth ball, clearing the long-off rope, before pulling a shorter delivery outside off towards midwicket, with the ball reaching the second tier in the stands. Gayle races to 70 in 33 balls. FOUR! What a way to end the ninth over! Gayle scythes the last ball over cover, with 21 coming off Henriques’ 2nd over! Brings up the 100 for RCB, who now need 109 off 66 balls!
After 8 overs,Bangalore 79/0 ( Chris Gayle 58 , Virat Kohli (C) 15)
Cutting for the eighth over, and starts off with a dot outside off. Kohli hands the strike back to Gayle in the second ball. Wide off the third. Clearly, Cutting is under pressure while bowling to Gayle. SIX! Full outside off, and Gayle’s times it crisply over the bowler’s head! Sixth big hit by him! Slower one from Cutting in the next delivery, which Gayle leaves. Pulls towards cow-corner for a single off the fifth ball. Kohli retains strike with a single. RCB need 130 off 72 balls.
A Bombay Bong with an identity crisis. Passionately follow cricket. Hardcore fan of Team India, the Proteas and junk food. Self-proclaimed shutterbug. see more
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