Mohali: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) finally ended on the winning side as they rode on half centuries from skipper Virat Kohli (67, 53b, 8×4) and AB de Villiers (59 n o, 38b, 5×4, 2×6) to notch up their first win of the ongoing IPL against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) by eight wickets here Saturday.
Chasing 174 runs for victory, RCB lost Parthiv Patel (19) but the Kohli-De Villiers combo stitched together to add 85 runs for the second wicket. Marcus Stoinis (28 n o) then along with De Villiers ensured RCB home with four balls to spare.
Earlier, swashbuckling opener Chris Gayle (99 n o, 64b, 10×4, 5×6) missed a well-deserved century by a whisker to power KXIP to 173/4.
The 39-year-old West Indian, who had suffered a back spasm after last match, carried his bat, recording his highest score of this IPL season to single-handedly anchor the Punjab innings.
Invited to bat, Gayle stitched a 66-run opening stand off 38 balls with KL Rahul (18) and kept the scoreboard ticking even though he lost partners on the other end at regular intervals. The Virat Kohli-led side would have got rid of Gayle in the first over itself when he was hit on the leg by Umesh Yadav (0/24) but Kohli didn’t go for a DRS and the West Indian escaped.
Spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal (2/33) and Moeen Ali (1/19) and pacer Navdeep Saini (0/23) were the pick of the bowlers, while Umesh and Mohammad Siraj’s (1/54) overs hurt RCB.
Brief scores: Kings XI Punjab 173/4 (Chris Gayle 99 n o; Yuzvendra Chahal 2/33) lost to Royals Challengers Bangalore 174/2 (Virat Kohli 67, AB de Villiers 59 n o) by eight wickets.