Skipper Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru hammer Gujarat Titans by four wickets to win their third successive IPL win on Saturday.
du Plessis, who hit 64 while chasing a modest 148 for victory, and Kohli, who made 42, laid the foundations with a stand of 92 off 35 balls as they achieved the target with 6.2 overs remaining at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Du Plessis’ departure triggered a collapse as Gujarat hit back with the wickets of Joshua Little and Noor Ahmad to leave the opposition in trouble at 6-117 when Kohli was dismissed.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, with 21 hits, and Swapnil Singh, with 15 hits, ensured there was no more drama as they led the team home with an unbeaten 35-run stand.
“It was important for me to not look at the scoreboard when I go out to bat and try to play the way we play,” du Plessis said.
“It was a bit nerve-wracking, another wicket, another wicket. It’s probably not the best, but we’re trying to be positive and increase our net run rate.”
Watch every match of the 2024 IPL season live on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
The bowlers cruised to victory as pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj removed the openers, including skipper Shubman Gill, early and Gujarat lost regular wickets to be bowled out for 147 in 19.3 overs.
Siraj was adjudged man of the match after taking figures of 2-29, but the pace bowler said he almost missed the match as he was “ill since last night”.
It was Bengaluru’s fourth win in 11 games and third on the bounce as they jumped from bottom to seventh and kept their slim play-off hopes alive.
Gujarat’s hopes are also in jeopardy as they slump to 7 losses in 11 games.
“It’s very important to start from zero in the next game and move on from this game,” Gill said.
“Learn from your mistakes and don’t repeat them. From now on it’s all about winning.”
Kohli, who regained the top batsman position with 542 runs, celebrated by hitting Mohit Sharma for 26 in the opening over of the chase, with du Plessis soon joining him and putting up 50 off 18 balls.
The South African veteran hit 10 fours and three sixes in a 23-ball match but was dismissed by Ireland’s left-arm pacer Little.
Four wickets, including Glenn Maxwell, were not out as Bengaluru slipped to 4-107.
The home crowd was silenced when Cameron Green barely came back and Noor’s left-arm wrist spin put Kohli behind, but the hosts had the last laugh when Singh hit a six.
Put in to bat earlier, Gujarat were 3 for 19 in six overs and pinch-hitter Shah Rukh Khan, who top-scored with 37, stood firm on a 61-run stand along with David Miller, who hit 30 off 20 balls.
Left-hander Rahul Tewatia hit a 21-ball 35 and put up another key stand along with Rashid Khan to add respectability to the total.
