Mandeep blitz scuttles KKR

Bengaluru, May 2: Mandeep Singh (45 not out, 18b, 4x4, 3x6) worked

the magic for Royal Challengers Bangalore who defeated champions Kolkata

Knight Riders by seven wickets with two balls to spare in a

rain–shortened 10–overs–a–side game in the 2015 Pepsi Indian Premier

League here on Saturday.

Needing 13 runs off the fil over, the 23–year old from Jalandhar

blasted two sixes off Andre Russell to take RCB to 115 for three in

reply to KKR’s 111 for four in what resembled a heavyweight boxing

slugfest.

The victory, their second over KKR this season, took RCB’s tally to

nine points to tie with the Kolkata outfit in the league standings. RCB,

however, was placed higher on superior Net Run Rate in third position.

RCB kept their composure in a hectic run chase that saw skipper Virat

Kohli (34, 20b, 2x4, 3x6) and Chris Gayle (21, 9b, 3x6) providing a

solid platform by putting on 48 runs in 3.5 overs.

However, the hosts lost Gayle and A.B. de Villiers (2) in quick

succession, and later, Kohli too departed, leaving the finishing job to

Mandeep Singh who played with refreshing abandon to take RCB over the

line.

It was a match that saw all bowlers, except RCB’s Mitchell Starc,

being taken to the cleaners after the match was delayed by over two

hours following heavy showers. The ground staff, however, did a fine job

to ensure a game, even if it was reduced to 10 overs per side.

Earlier, KKR, expectedly, set a gallop from the start with openers

Robin Uthappa (23, 21b, 3x4) and Gautam Gambhir (12, 8b, 2x4) going on

the offensive, putting on 33 runs in just 23 balls.

The exit of Gambhir, caught in the deep off David Wiese did not slow

down the KKR pace. Rather, Russell took charge and went about destroying

the RCB attack while Uthappa played second fiddle until he nicked

leg–spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to akeeper Dinesh Karthik who later ran out

Russell.

By then, KKR were on top and their innings eventually ended on 111

with Mitchell Starc, pick of the home bowlers, denied a second wicket

after removing Ryan ten Doeschate in the fil over, when he was

no–balled for above–the–waist full toss that Yusuf Pathan slammed into

the hands of Kohli at long–on. IANS

SCOREBOARD
Kolkata Knight Riders:
RV Uthappa† c †Karthik b Chahal 23, G Gambhir*c Mandeep Singh b Wiese 12, AD Russell run out (†Karthik) 45, RN ten Doeschate c de Villiers b Starc 12, YK Pathan not out 11, SA Yadav not out 0
Extras (lb 3, w 4, nb 1) 8; Total (4 wickets; 10 overs) 111
Fall of wickets 1–33, 2–71, 3–96, 4–102
Bowling: MA Starc 2 0 15 1, VR Aaron 2 0 29 0, HV Patel 2 0 22 0, D Wiese 2 0 20 1, YS Chahal 2 0 22 1
Royal Challengers Bangalore:
CH Gayle c Russell b Hogg 21, V Kohli* c SA Yadav b Russell 34, AB de Villiers b Chawla 2, Mandeep Singh not out 45, D Wiese not out 9
Extras (w 4) 4;Total (3 wickets; 9.4 overs) 115
Fall of wickets 1–48, 2–51, 3–81
Bowling: PJ Cummins 2 0 18 0, UT Yadav 2 0 31 0, GB Hogg 2 0 23 1, PP Chawla 2 0 21 1, AD Russell 1.4 0 22 1