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Rediff.com  » Cricket » IPL: Kohli's blitz keeps Bangalore's play-off hopes alive

IPL: Kohli's blitz keeps Bangalore's play-off hopes alive

Last updated on: May 19, 2013 01:05 IST
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Skipper Virat Kohli's magnificent batting and short but incisive spell from Zaheer Khan kept Royal Challengers Bangalore in contention for pay-off berth as they easily beat Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs in their final league game of Pepsi Indian Premier league in Bangalore, on Saturday.

Courtesy of Kohli's blistering 29-ball-56, RCB posted 106 for two in only eight overs in a match curtailed by rain and then restricted Chennai to 82 for six.

- PHOTOS: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings

RCB finished their league engagements with 18 points and will now hope that Kolkata Knight Riders turn out to be 'party poopers' for Hyderabad Sunrisers which will ensure their passage in the play-offs by virtue of a better net run-rate.

Zaheer (4/17), playing only his second match since comeback dealt twin blows removing the two in-form men in Mike Hussey (6) and Suresh Raina (0) off successive deliveries.

Virat KohliWhile Hussey edged one that kicked up from back of the length with glovesman Lokesh Rahul taking a good catch, Raina went for a slog shot only to offer a skier for RP Singh.

The third wicket came in the fourth over when Dwayne Bravo top edged one to Saurabh Tiwary in the thirdman region.

CSK skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni came in with 78 required off four overs but it wasn't one of those days when impossible could have been achieved.

Earlier, spectacular hitting by the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli helped them post an imposing target of 106 for two in their alloted eight overs.

Skipper Kohli led from the front smashing an unbeaten 56 off only 29 balls, hitting six fours and four sixes. He added 67 runs with Chris Gayle, who made 28 from 13 balls, for the opening wicket.

Promoting himself, Kohli got a boundary with a cover drive off the second delivery bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin, who was otherwise economical.

Gayle got into the act with a slashed six over point off Chris Morris as 11 runs came off the second over.

The RCB skipper showed the way as he launched into Ashwin in the third over. Two short deliveries were carted through midwicket and then danced down the track to loft a carrom ball from Ashwin over long-off.

Kohli's big hits were a treat to watch as smashed Morris straight down th ground for a boundary before finishing off the over with a six over long-off.

Such was Kohli's aggressive mindset that someone like Gayle was happy to play second fiddle and giving the strike back to his captain.

The big-bodied Jamaican however took over in the fifth over bowled by fellow West Indian Jason Holder as he hit three successive sixes through midwicket to take the score from 48 to 66.

Finally, it was Dwayne Bravo who got rid of Gayle as the opener hit one straight to Mike Hussey at cover as the first wicket fell on 67.

The dangerous AB de Villiers (5) got a boundary but was holed out in the deep off Mohit Sharma's slower delivery.

Photograph: BCCI

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