RCB wins third consecutive match, keeps qualification hopes alive

Wicket-keeper batsman Nicholas Pooran and KL Rahul tried chasing down the mammoth total of 202.

Banglore: Royal Challengers Banglore registers fourth win of the season as they beat Kings XI Punjab by 17 runs in a nailbiting finish here at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Wicket-keeper batsman Nicholas Pooran and KL Rahul tried chasing down the mammoth total of 202 set by RCB while batting first. Pooran smashed five sixes and one boundary to score 46 runs off 28 balls.

Earlier, Chris Gayle and K L Rahul gave an explosive start to the KXIP. The duo smashed 42 runs in the first three overs. Gayle while trying to hit one out of the park got out on the score of 23 of just 10 balls. The Carribean batsman smashed four boundaries and one six in his cameo.

Gayle's partner Rahul then built another partnership with Mayank Agarwal, where he took the aggressive role and took the Kings to score past 100 run mark. KXIP lost two wickets in quick succession as Agarwal was sent back to the dugout by Marcus Stoinis and Rahul was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal.

For RCB Umesh Yadav picked three wickets while giving away 36 runs in his quota of four overs. Navdeep Saini also bowled well at the crucial movements of the match at clinched two wickets.

ABD

Earlier, AB de Villiers's 44 balls 84 helped Royal Challengers Banglore post a mammoth total. ABD smashed seven maximums and three boundaries in his breathtaking innings. Marcus Stoinis played the anchor role in the innings defining partnership of 121 runs.

Parthiv Patel gave an explosive start to the host by smashing 35 runs in just three overs. Patel, after scoring 43 of 23 balls with the help of two sixes and seven boundaries, was dismissed by spinner Murugan Ashwin.

After this win for the first time in the season, RCB is ranked seventh in the points table. The Virat Kohli led team has now won the last three matches on the trot and has kept its chances of qualifying alive.