IPL: RCB beat RPS by 13 runs to win match
Chasing a score of 186, the RPS managed 172 runs for the loss of eight wickets.
Ajinkya Rahane played a good hand as he scored 60 runs off 46 balls. The Mumbaikar forged a 91-run partnership with his skipper MS Dhoni (41) for the third wicket and helped his side settle down after an initial collapse sent a jolt in the RPS dressing room.
Beginning the run-chase, the hosts lost Faf du Plessis (2) early and was in for more trouble when Kevin Pietersen, who grimaced with pain after getting his foot stuck, was declared retired hurt.
A Steve Smith (4) run-out truly set the tone for the men in red and black. Virat Kohli was in the thick of action, hitting the stumps to get rid of the Aussie skipper, who was found well short of the bowling crease.
But the match was far from over as Thisera Perera, looked ominous with the bat.
After his exploits with the ball, the southpaw hit 3 sixes and equal number of boundaries to score 34 runs off just 13 balls. He also plundered 18 runs off the 18th over to take his team's total closer to the target, but departed in the ensuing over as he top edged one off Shane Watson.
Among the RCB bowlers, Kane Richardson picked up three wickets, followed by Shane Watson's two. Harshal Patel and Tabrex Shamshi picked up a wicket each.
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers was involved in another record partnership as the duo put up 155 runs for the second wicket.
Kohli, who started off slow and took almost 49 balls to complete his half century, the third in the ongoing tournament, finished in style as he hit an array of boundaries and topped with with a six towards the fag end of their innings.
Though he perished in the last over, trying to slog Thisera Perera off the ground, the RCB skipper scored 80 runs off 63 balls, hitting seven fours and two sixes.
AB too was on song. The more active of the two, he scored 83 off 46 balls and true to his nature hit four maximums and six fours.
The crowd was in for a treat as Mr 360 pulled off a conventional sweep for a six, following it with a reverse sweep for a boundary.
He too perished in the same over as Perera deceived him with a well disguised slower delivery. With back to back wickets of Kohli and de Villiers, the Sinhalese all-rounder was on a hat-trick.
Earlier, Lokesh Rahul, who opened in place of Chris Gayle, scored seven runs before being dismissed by Perera.
Shane Watson (1) and Sarfaraz Khan (2) remained unbeaten as the visitors piled in a good score.
AB de Villiers was adjudged the Player of the match.
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