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Images from the Indian Premier League match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Dubai, on Wednesday.
Royal Challengers Bangalore dished out a clinical performance with both bat and ball to score a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League match, in Dubai, on Wednesday.
Chasing 150, Virat Kohli’s team completed the task with as many as 17 balls to spare.
The victory took the Royal Challengers to third place in the eight-team league with 14 points from 11 outings, while Rajasthan Royals are placed seventh with eight points from 11 matches.
Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell was the architect of RCB's easy victory. He blazed away to an unbeaten 50 off just 30 balls, while Srikar Bharat gave a good account of himself, scoring 44 off 35 deliveries.
The Royal Challengers needed 71 runs from the last ten overs after the Royals’ bowlers checked the flow of runs following the dismissals of Kohli (25) and Devdutt Padikkal (22) in the sixth and seventh over respectively.
The pair had given the team a brisk start as RCB scored nine runs per over in the powerplay.
India's captain scored three boundaries in the first over though he was lucky with the first one that flew over the slip cordon off a leading edge.
However, both were out after settling down.
Mustafizur Rahman provided Rajasthan Royals the breakthrough, cleaning up Padikkal in the sixth over.
In the next over, while Kohli was run-out to a direct hit by Riyan Parag after the fielder made a diving stop and RCB were reduced to 58 for 2 inside seven overs.
This was the first time Kohli was run-out in the IPL since 2015.
Srikar Bharat and Glenn Maxwell, however, calmed RCB's nerves with a solid partnership as the side put up 100 in the 13th over.
With needed 33 from 42 balls, eight wickets in hand and Maxwell well-set, victory was imminent despite Bharat's dismissal in the 16th over.
AB de Villiers hit the winning runs, sweeping the only ball he faced for a four.
Earlier, Rajasthan Royals blew away a blistering start and were restricted to 149 for 9.
Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed (2 for 10) and leg-break bowler Yuzvendra Chahal (2 for 18) triggered the slide after the Royals were cruising at 100 for 1 in the 11th over.
Pacer Harshal Patel (3 for 34) came close to performing a hat-trick in successive matches, in the final over, but Kartik Tyagi denied him that honour as the Royals flattered to deceive.
Evin Lewis top-scored for the Royals with 58 off 37 balls, but he was guilty of throwing away his wicket at a crucial juncture.
So was skipper Sanju Samson (19), whose adventurism did not help the team's cause.
Put in to bat, Rajasthan Royals got off to a solid start as Yashasvi Jaiswal and Lewis smashed four fours and as many sixes in the first five overs.
After Yashasvi departed for 31 in the ninth over, the West Indies batsman continued his onslaught and took the Royals to 100 in 11 overs.
Lewis got to a half-century off just 31 balls before George Garton dismissed him to raise RCB’s hopes of a comeback.
And they did just that as Rajasthan Royals lost the plot in the second half.
Samson started off well but couldn't continue his fine form while Mahipal Lomror departed after scoring just three runs.
From 100 for 1 the Royals collapsed to 127 for 6 in five overs, as Liam Livingstone, Rahul Tewatia Lomror all departed for single-digit scores.
In the end, the Royals will be mad at themselves for not finishing as well as they started.
The scored just 49 runs in the last eight overs.