Images from Monday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders, in Sharjah.
Royal Challengers Bangalore, powered by a blazing knock from A B de Villiers and clinical bowling, proved too good for Kolkata Knight Riders, winning their Indian Premier League match in Sharjah by 82 runs, on Monday.
The South African batsman had things his way, smashing six sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 73 off just 33 balls, in the company of skipper Virat Kohli (33 not out off 28 balls) during an unbroken third-wicket stand of 100 runs from 7.4 overs as Royal Challengers put to 194 for 2.
In reply, the Knight Riders, despite a fine knock from opener Shubman Gill (34 off 25) were restricted to just 112 for 9.
Chris Morris (2-17) and Washington Sundar (2-20) bowled tidy spells for the Royal Challengers, while Yuzvendra Chahal was the most economical with figures of 1 for 12 in his four overs.
The victory took Royal Challengers to third place in the league standings with 10 points from 7 matches, the same as table toppers Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals.
The Knight Riders are in fourth place with 8 points from 7 matches.
Earlier, on a pitch that was slowing down, spinner Varun Chakravarthy bowled a tidy 0/25 from four overs, while young pacer Kamlesh Nagarkoti (0/36 from four overs) cleverly mixed up his deliveries with cutters to check the Royal Challengers’ momentum midway in their innings.
Opener Aaron Finch (47 from 37 balls) looked sluggish in the middle and struggled to find boundaries before being castled by Prasidh Krishna.
With boundaries drying up, De Villiers unleashed his array of shots against a disciplined Nagarkoti, smashing him for consecutive sixes, over midwicket, one of which hit a running car.
The South African raced to his fifty off 23 balls as Royal Challengers took 83 runs from the last five overs to boost the total.
Earlier, opting to bat, openers Finch and Padikkal started off in a blazing fashion and attacked KKR’s new-ball bowlers Pat Cummins and Prasidh Krishna.
Finch clubbed one out of the stadium in Prasidh's first over before he failed to read the yorker and was bowled for 46 from 37 balls.
The boundaries soon dried up after the Power-Play, with Russell providing KKR the breakthrough by cleaning up Padikkal with a fuller delivery. The talented youngster earlier hit back-to-back boundaries off Cummins.
However, he was done in by Russell after making room for a big shot. He went too wide and found his stumps go all over the place. He scored 32 from 23 balls.
Bowling in absence of ace spinner Sunil Narine, who was left out after being reported for suspect action, Chakravarthy bowled a tidy spell.
Replying to the huge total, the Knight Riders batsmen never got going. Save a gutsy 34 off 25 balls from young opener Shubman Gill none could come up a decent knock.
Navdeep Saini drew first blood, spoiling the debut of talented Tom Banton (8) as Kolkata’s ploy to open with the Englishman came a cropper.
The under-rated Sundar was top class and virtually derailed the KKR run-chase with the prized-scalp of the in-form Eoin Morgan (8) and Nitish Rana (9).
Well-set opener Shubman Gill (34 from 25 balls) was run-out during Sundar's miserly spell as the KKR batsmen struggled for runs.
Chahal accounted for Kolkata’s last match hero, captain Dinesh Karthik (1). The batsman was deceived by the flight and dragged one onto his stumps.
Andre Russell, from whom much was expected, continued his poor run, scoring a 10-ball 16.
