IPL 7 T20 KXIP vs RCB: Punjab continue winning streak in UAE

Kings XI Punjab maintained their unbeaten run in the UAE leg of IPL 7 with a clinical five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore with seven balls to spare at Dubai International Stadium on Monday.

Chasing a relatively small target of 125, KXIP made 127-5 in 18.5 overs.

Sehwag (32) and Miller (26) laid the foundation for victory with fluent knocks.

Skipper Bailey (16 not out) and Rishi Dhawan (23 not out) kept their cool to steer Punjab to a comfortable victory and maintain their position at the summit.

Aaron claimed two for 20 and Chahal two for 23.

PUNJAB INNINGS

Bailey swings the first ball of the penultimate over from Aaron to the fine leg fence while Dhawan smashes a boundary to steer Kings XI Punjab to a five-wicket victory.

Bailey and Dhawan are stealthily moving towards the target in singles. KXIP 115-5 in 18 overs.

Dhawan glides Yuvraj past slip for a boundary. KXIP 101-5 in 15 overs.

Dhawan cracks Dinda through the covers for a boundary. KXIP 93-5 in 14 overs.

Chahal completes his spell with figures of 4-0-23-2.

Double blow as Sehwag goes adjudged caught behind off Chahal though replays suggested he had not got a nick. KXIP 88-5 in 13 overs.

Virender Sehwag c and b Chahal 32 (26b 4x4 0x6)

Chahal strikes as Millers edges to be caught behind. KXIP 85-4 in 12.2 overs.

David Miller c Patel b Chahal 26 (20b 4x4 0x6)

Big over for Punjab as Miller finds the gap on the leg side smashing three consecutive boundaries off Morkel. KXIP 84-3 in 12 overs.

Miller hits a boundary off Chahal through point. KXIP 70-3 in 11 overs.

Sehwag is in sublime form flicking Aaron to the fine leg fence with superb timing. KXIP 51-3 in 8 overs.

Starc takes another brilliant catch scooping inches off the ground as Maxwell tries to heave Aaron out of the ground. KXIP 40-2 in 7.1 overs.

Glenn Maxwell c Starc b Aaron 6 (6b 0x4 0x6)

Aaron strikes as Starc takes a superb catch to dismiss Saha. KXIP 33-2 in 5.5 overs

Wriddhiman Saha c Starc b Aaron 2 (6b 0x4 0x6)

Sehwag cracks two consecutive boundaries off Dinda on the leg side. KXIP 31-1 in 5 overs.

Dinda strikes as Pujara is caught behind. KXIP 22-1 in 4.1 overs.

Cheteshwar Pujara c Patel b Dinda 10 (18b 1x4 0x6)

Sehwag steers Aaron past point for his first boundary. KXIP 22-0 in 4 overs.

BANGALORE INNINGS

Royal Challengers Bangalore were restricted to 124-8 despite the presence of Gayle who slammed 20 in the opening over.

Sandeep Sharma wreaked havoc in his opening spell returning figures of 3-1-15-3 while Johnson (2-19) and Dhawan (2-14) struck at regular intervals.

Yuvraj Singh top scored with 35 off 32 balls with three boundaries and a six.

Johnson strikes castling Starc bowled off an inside edge. RCB 120-9 in 19.1 overs.

Mitchell Starc b Johnson 8 (17b 0x4 0x6)

Yuvraj departs holing out to Miller in the deep. RCB 97-7 in 14.3 overs.

Yuvraj Singh c Miller b Dhawan 35 (32b 3x4 1x6)

Balaji strikes clattering the stumps of Albie Morkel. RCB 93-6 in 13.2 overs.

Albie Morkel b Balaji 15 (14b 0x4 1x6)

Dhawan strikes with his second delivery as AB de Villiers steers straight to Maxwell at backward point after adding 41 with Yuvraj. RCB 67-5 in 9.2 overs.

AB de Villiers c Maxwell b Dhawan 17 (15b 2x4 0x6)

Yuvraj whacks Patel for a six. RCB 66-4 in 9 overs.

Yuvraj and de Villiers hit a boundary apiece off Sharma. RCB 44-4 in 6 overs.

AB de Villiers cracks Johnson to long-on for a boundary. RCB 34-4 in 5 overs.

Sharma claims his third wicket as Patel perishes caught behind. RCB 26-4 in 3.5 overs.

Parthiv Patel c Saha b Sandeep Sharma 2 (7b 0x4 0x6)

Johnson strikes as Takawale gets a thick edge behind. RCB 26-3 in 3 overs.

Yogesh Takawale c Saha b Johnson 0 (7b 0x4 0x6)

Double blow for Bangalore as Kohli is adjudged leg before though replays suggested it was missing leg. RCB 25-2 in 1.4 overs.

Virat Kohli lbw b Sandeep Sharma 4 (2b 1x4 0x6)

Sandeep strikes with his second delivery taking the big wicket of Gayle castling him stunning the Dubai crowd into silence. RCB 21-1 in 1.2 overs.

Chris Gayle b Sandeep Sharma 20 (7b 2x4 2x6)

Gayle makes a dream debut for Bangalore in UAE whacking a couple of sixes and two massive sixes off Maxwell. RCB 20-0 in 1 over.

The big news is that Chris Gayle is playing today.

PLAYING XI

Punjab: Cheteshwar Pujara, Virender Sehwag, Wriddhiman Saha, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, George Bailey, Mitchell Johnson, Rishi Dhawan, Akshar Patel, Laxmipathy Balaji, Sandeep Sharma

Bangalore: Chris Gayle, Prathiv Patel, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, AB de Villiers, Yogesh Takawale, Albie Morkel, Ashok Dinda, Mitchell Starc, Y Chahal, Varun Aaron

Punjab have won the toss and opted to bowl first.

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) go head to head in Match 18 of IPL & at Dubai International Stadium on Monday.

KXIP are the only unbeaten side in the competition having won all their four matches.

RCB have lost their way after winning their opening two matches.

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