BANGALORE FLOORED
Karnataka boys Gopal, Gowtham knock RCB out of IPL11
Jaipur, May 19: Young Shreyas Gopal spun a web around a star- studded Royal Challengers Bangalore batting line- up with a brilliant four for 16, helping Rajasthan Royals to a 30run victory to keep his side in the reckoning for a playoffs berth in the IPL, here on Saturday.
The 24- year- old leg- spinner led a fine bowling display by the home side as it shot RCB out for just 134 in 19.2 overs after opening batsman Rahul Tripathi had helped the Royals post a competitive 164/ 5 with a solid unbeaten 80 off 58 balls.
The Royals opted to bat in their final league game.
South African superstar AB de Villiers briefly threatened to take the game away in RCB’s favour with a 35ball 53 but Gopal and his bowling colleagues ensured Royals’ victory. Pacers Jaydev Unadkat and Ben Laughlin chipped in with two wickets apiece while off-spinner Krishna pp a Gowtham took one wicket as RCB’s hopes for a play- offs berth went up in smokes. RCB ended the tournament with 12 points from 14 matches. They are now sixth in the standings. With this win, the Royals climbed to fourth spot with 14 points from 14 matches. Royals’ chances for a playoffs berth are, however, not in their hands as the remaining matches tomorrow will decide their fate. RCB’s run chase began on a bright note with Parthiv hitting two sixes in the first over off Jofra Archer, but Virat Kohli ( 4) continued his inconsistent run of form, as he failed to get the runs at the other end.
Kohli was out in the third over off Gowtham. The India captain charged down the ground and he swiped, only for the ball to spin in from a length and hit his stumps.
De Villiers came out and smashed Archer and Laughlin for three and two fours respectively in the next two overs, apparently in a bid to overhaul the target in 15.5 overs to better Mumbai Indians’ net run rate.
De Villiers and Parthiv stitched 55 runs for the second wicket to keep RCB in the hunt to reach the target. The South African kept one end intact for more then seven overs but wickets kept on falling at the other end.