IPL6: Bangalore win to keep alive their play-off hopes

Royal Challengers Bangalore won a rain reduced 8 overs-a-side match against Chennai Super Kings by 24 runs at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday night to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the play-offs.

Bangalore jumped to fourth spot having a better net run rate than Sunriser Hyderabad who also have 18 points.

But their fate depends on the Hyderabad's match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. 

Chasing a stiff target of 107, Chennai never looked in the hunt after losing Hussey and Raina in successive balls.

Vijay (32) started slowly before cracking two sixes but with their asking rate climbing they were always battling a losing cause.

Dhoni tried to perform the improbable with a 10-ball cameo of 24 with two towering sixes and two boundaries.

But Zaheer Khan struck crucial blows to finish with amazing figures of four for 17 in his two overs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore made 106-2 in 8 overs after being put into bat thanks to an unbeaten half century from Virat Kohli.

Chennai managed to contain Gayle who smashed four sixes, including three in in succession off Cooper, in his 13-ball 28.

AB de Villiers was also dimissed cheaply but skipper Kohli cracked six boudaries and four sixes in his 29-ball 56.

Bravo and Mohit Sharma picked up a wicket apiece.

CHENNAI SUPER KINGS INNINGS

Zaheer Khan takes a stunning return catch to dismiss Jadeja as Bangalore win by 24 runs. CSK 82-6

R Jadeja c and b Khan 7 (4b 1x4 0x6)

Dhoni falls after hammering a boundary and a six off Zaheer who picks up his third wicket. CSK 78-5.

MS Dhoni c Unadkat b Khan 24 (10b 2x4 2x6)

Dhoni slams a towering six off Rampaul which sails over the roof of the stadium but Chennai need 40 off the last over. CSK 68-4 in 7 overs.

Gayle takes a skier from Vijay to give Rampaul his second wicket. CSK 56-4.

M Vijay c Gayle b Rampaul 32 (19b 2x4 2x6)

Vijay hits a couple of sixes off RP Singh but Chennai need 51 off 12 balls. CSK 56-3 in 6 overs.

Vijay pulls the first ball from RP Singh a for a six over midwicket.

Chennai need 71 off 18 balls.

Vijay gets a boundary off Unadkat but the big hits are missing and there seems to be no sense of urgency by Chennai in chasing down the huge target. CSK 37-3 in 5 overs.

Bravo hits the first six of the innings off Vinay Kumar but is out off the next ball. CSK 29-3.

D Bravo c Tiwary b Vinay Kumar 11 (9b 0x4 1x6)

Vijay manages to get a boundary to spoil a good over from Unadkat. CSK 19-2 in 3 overs.

Unadkat into the attack in the third over.

Zaheer bowls an excellent first over claiming two wickets for three runs. CSK 11-2 in 2 overs.

Bravo denies Zaheer a hat-trick and survives a run out attempt.

Double strike by Zaheer with Raina going for a first-ball duck failing to clear Vinay at long off. CSK 11-2.

S Raina c Vinay Kumar b Khan 0 (1b 0x4 0x6)

Zaheer Khan strikes as Hussey edges a rising delivery to be caught behind by Rahul. CSK 11-1.

M Hussey c Rahul b Khan 6 (5b 1x4 0x6)

Hussey pulls the first ball from Rampaul to the boundary. CSK 8-0 in 1 over.

Chennai open with Hussey and Vijay while Rampaul opens the attack for Bangalore.

ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE ININGS

Bravo goes for 16 in the final over as Kohli finishes with a boundary to help Bangalore make 106-2 in 8 overs.

Kohli reaches his half century in style by clubbing Bravo over long on for a six.

Kohli appears to get an edge off the fourth ball with only Bravo making a half-hearted appeal.

Kohli swings and misses the first two balls before despatching the third over midoff.

Bravo bowls the last over with Kohli on strike.

Henriques slams three consecutive boundaries off Sharma. RCB 90-2 in 7 overs.

Mohit Sharma strikes with his first delivery lofting straight to Jadeja at long-off. RCB 76-2.

AB de Villiers c Jadeja b Sharma 5 (3b 1x4 0x6)

Kohli also hits a boudary off Bravo off a top edge. RCB 76-1 in 6 overs.

AB de Villiers comes in at the fall of Gayle's wicket and hits a boundary off the first ball from Bravo.

Bravo with his second delivery as Gayle cracks him straight to Hussey. RCB 67-1.

C Gayle c Hussey b Bravo 28 (13b 0x4 4x6)

Dhoni fails to latch onto an outside edge from Kohli off Bravo's first ball.

Bravo into the attack in the sixth over.

Gayle goes berserk against Cooper blasting three towering sixes on the leg side. RCB 66-0 in 5 overs.

Cooper into the attack in the fifth over.

Kohli smashes Morris back over his head for a boundary and finishes the over by slamming him over mid off for a six. RCB 46-0 in 4 overs.

Kohli smashes two boundaries and a six off Ashwin who goes for 16 in his second over. RCB 33-0 in 3 overs.

Ashwin continues bowling the third over with Kohli on strike.

Morris bowls the second over to Gayle who hammers the first six of the match just clearing point. RCB 17-0 in 2 overs.

Kohli slams the second ball from Ashwin through the covers for a boundary. RCB 6-0 in 1 over.

Kohli takes strike against Ashwin.

Gayle and Kohli come out to open in what could promises to be an explosive affair.

It's a do-or-die game for Bangalore who have to win to stay in the competition.

Dhoni has won the toss and put Kohli's Bangalore into bat.

"It's a do or die game. A washout would have been heartbreaking," said RCB skipper Virat Kohli. "I am glad we are having an eight-over game at least."

Morris is in for Albie Morkel for Chennai.

RCB have brought in RP Singh and Saurabh Tiwary for Murali Karthik and Arun Karthik.

PLAYING XI

RCB: C Gayle, V Kohli, AB de Villiers, L Rahul, M Henriques, S Tiwary, V Kumar, R Rampaul, J Unadkat, Z Khan, R Pratap Singh

CSK: M Hussey, M Vijay, S Raina, MS Dhoni, R Jadeja, DJ Bravo, S Badrinath, R Ashwin, C Morris, J Holder, M Sharma

It will be an 8 overs-a-side game.

The covers are on and off because of rain.

It is a must-win game for Royal Challengers Bangalore when they take on Chennai Super Kings in Match 70 of IPL6 at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Saturday.

A defeat against Kings XI Punjab has dented their playoff hopes as Sunrisers Hyderabad leapfrogged over them into fourth place.

Even a win against CSK cannot guarantee RCB entry into the playoffs since Hyderabad have a game in hand against Kolkata Knight Riders.

RCB will up against a side who have lost only four of their 15 outings this season.

In their previous fixture this year, RCB lost a last-ball thriller in their previous match.

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