Bangalore, May 14: Star batsman Yuvraj Singh smashed a magnificient 68 not out in a stunning six-hitting exhibition to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a 16-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in an IPL match here today.
The in-form Yuvraj, who had scored a brilliant 83 of just 38 balls against Rajasthan Royals in his side`s last game here, set the Chinnaswamy Stadium on fire as he hit nine sixes and a four off just 29 balls to single-handedly take his side to a formidable 186 for four after being put into bat.
Chasing a stiff 187 for a win, Delhi were restricted to 170 for seven in 20 overs to lose the match which started 70 minutes behind schedule due to light drizzle.
With today`s win, Bangalore jumped to sixth spot with eight points from 10 matches while Delhi languished at the bottom with four points from 10 matches as they now face an uphill task to qualify for the play-offs.
Coming out to bat at the 13th over at team total of 94/3, Yuvraj struck sixes almost at will towards the end of the innings after a slow start by his side. This was his third fifty-plus knock in 10 matches in IPL-7 as he signalled his return to his vintage form of the old after recent failures.
Yuvraj hit three sixes of successive balls off South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir to gather 21 runs from 17th over and then smashed a maximum each in the next two overs bowled by Mohammed Shami and Siddarth Kaul. He reserved his best for the last as he hammered Rahul Shukla for 27 runs in the final over, belting four consecutive sixes.
Delhi began their chase in the worst possible fashion as they lost both their openers Murali Vijay (1) and Quinton de Kock (6) inside the second over at team total of 10 for two.
Captain Kevin Pietersen (33) and Mayank Agarwal (31) briefly kept Delhi in the game with a 63-run stand for the third wicket from 7.2 overs before the latter was out. The match was as good as over when Pietersen was out in the 12th over off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal as Delhi were reduced to 97 for four, needing 90 runs from eight overs.
Pietersen, who is yet to come up with a big score from his seven innings, hit two fours and a six in his 29-ball knock. He was foxed by Chahal with the turn, as a flatter and shorter delivery beat a charging-down Pietrsen for Parthiv Patel to do the easy stumping.
Dinesh Karthik (1) did not stay long at the crease as he followed his captain at the dressing room just an over later and though JP Duminy hit a six off Chahal soon after, Delhi needed to score 68 runs from the last five overs at an asking rate of 13 runs per over.
Duminy (48 off 30 balls) made a heroic effort along with Kedar Jadhav (37) but the South African`s resistance ended in the 18th over and with it, the flicker of hope for Delhi to win also gone.
Delhi needed 26 off the last over bowled by Mitchell Starc and Jadhav hit a six off the first ball but they could score only nine runs from that over.
Veteran off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and pacer Mitchell Starc took two wickets each for 25 and 26 runs respectively while Abu Nechim Ahmed and Chahal chipped in with a wicket each.
Earlier, a sensational six hitting exhibition by Yuvraj late in the innings took Bangalore to 186 for four.
Yuvraj shared a 79-run partnership with Sachin Rana (15 not out) for the unconquered fifth wicket as Bangalore scored 79 runs in the last five overs to end their innings with a flourish. A B de Villiers contributed a useful 33 off just 17 balls.
Yuvraj, who received criticism from some quarters for his indifferent form in recent times, began with three sixes off successive balls off South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir to gather 21 runs in the 17th over and then smashed a maximum each in the next two overs bowled by Mohammed Shami and Siddarth Kaul.
The star batsman reserved for the best for the last as he hammered Rahul Shukla for 27 runs in the final over, belting four consecutive sixes.
The Bangalore innings got off to a decent start after Chris Gayle made 22 off 23 balls, smashing two sixes and and a four during his knock. The big-built West Indian, who is yet to get a big score under his belt in this IPL, got out off pacer Rahul Shukla as he tried to smash the ball on the legside only to get an inside edge that uprooted the stumps.
Captain Virat Kohli (10), who is yet to fire from his bat in this IPL so far, once again disappointed the fans as he failed to ground his bat while trying to steal a second run of the throw of Shukla from fine leg.
AB de Villiers walked into the middle when Bangalore were in the spot of bother after losing two quick wickets with just 45 runs on the board coming from 8.1 overs.
Along with Yuvraj, de Villiers rebuilt the Bangalore innings. De Villiers smashed four boundaries and a six in his 33-run knock off 17 balls and he departed with Bangalore struggling at 107 for four in 14.2 overs before Yuvraj took centrestage.
Captain Cool Puts Super Kings on Top
Ranchi, May 14: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the best finisher in the game of cricket, showed his magic yet again by leading two-time champions Chennai Super Kings to a hard-fought five-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the 37th IPL match here at JSCA International Stadium on Tuesday.
Chasing 149 for victory, Chennai appeared to be in trouble, needing 25 runs from the last two overs with Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle. The slowing down of the wicket had made scoring quick runs a difficult task. But a dramatic turnaround happened as Jadeja sent Kevon Cooper flying over long-off for six in the third ball of the 18th over. Dhoni then made good use of his running ability by taking a couple each off the last two balls despite facing the risk of being run out.
Excitement ran high as 12 runs were required from the last over. However, Dhoni settled the issue by smashing James Faulkner’s second ball for a six over mid-wicket and taking a couple and three in the next two deliveries. With the win, Chennai emerged sole leaders while Rajasthan stayed at the third place. All-rounder Jadeja, who earlier took two wickets for 18 runs, was adjudged the Man of the Match.
Chennai, of course, failed to get a good start this time as opener Brendon McCullum departed early, superbly caught at square-leg by Karun Nair off Ankit Sharma for four. But his opening partner Dwayne Smith lived up to his reputation, hitting a 35-ball 44 (5x4, 2x6). He, however, missed his sixth half-century after being caught by wicket-keeper Dishant Yagnik off Cooper in the last ball of the 10th over.
Earlier, Chennai rode impressive bowling by pace spearhead Mohit Sharma and left-arm spinner Jadeja to restrict Rajasthan to 148 for eight. Mohit scalped three for 31. Overseas leg-spinner Samuel Badree, who opened the bowling, also proved very economical, conceding 19 runs in four overs and picking up one wicket.
Rajasthan failed to capitalise on a good start given by the new opening pair of Shane Watson and Ankit, who compiled 60 runs in 7.5 overs. But after R Ashwin broke the stand, having Ankit caught at long-on by Smith for 30 (27b, 4x4, 1x6), Rajasthan lost their control over the match.
Captain Watson top-scored with 51 (36b, 3x4, 4x6) while Stuart Binny played a cameo of 22 (17b, 2x6). But the rest of the Rajasthan batsmen failed to make it to the double figures. Ankit was more aggressive than his partner, hitting Mohit for two fours in the fourth over and Ashwin for two fours and a six in the sixth over, which produced 17 runs. Watson turned aggressive after the exit of Ankit, scoring 18 off debutant Vijay Shankar’s tenth over.
Regular opener Rahane fell cheaply as he was run out in the 11th over while attempting a non-existent single. Watson followed Rahane two overs later after completing a half century.
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