Virat’s 58 in vain as GT beat RCB
Pandya’s boys beat Bengaluru franchise by six wickets to inch closer to book place in IPL play-offs
Gujarat Titans extended their dominance at the top of the table with a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers
Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here on Saturday and inched closer towards clinching a play-off spot in their inception year.
After failing multiple times, Virat Kohli finally came out of a prolonged slump in form by registering his first IPL fifty in 14 matches, including nine this season, as Royal Challengers Bangalore posted a challenging 170 for six.
In reply, Rahul Tewatia (43 not out) and David Miller (39 not out) did the job for GT after the table toppers were struggling at 95 for four in the 13th over. With 16 points which has been the magic mark, Titans are well on course towards a toptwo finish.
On the day, Kohli made 58 off 53 balls before walking back to the dugout amid a standing ovation at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rajat Patidar blasted a 32ball 52 — his maiden IPL fifty — while Glenn Maxwell blazed away to 33
in 18 deliveries to prop up RCB The returning Pradeep Sangwan was excellent with the ball, finishing with figures of 2-19, while Rashid Khan gave away just 29 runs in his four over to check the flow of runs in the middle overs.
GT were off to a sound start with Wriddhiman Saha (31) and Shubman Gill (29) putting on 51 runs before Wanindu Hasaranga effected the first breakthrough by removing the former.
Left-arm spinner Shahbaz Ahmed had Shubman Gill trapped in front of the wicket. GT skipper Hardik Pandya (3) once again got out cheaply, falling to Shahbaz.
Sai Sudharsan chipped in with a 14-ball 20 before Hasaranga picked up his second wicket, the batter caught by substitute keeper Anuj Rawat as Dinesh Karthik did not take to the field.
Sudharsan's dismissal left RT at 95 for four with the innings entering the 14th over. Needing 71 from six overs, David Miller hit Hasaranga for a six and four to collect 13 runs, and then, two boundaries by Rahul Tewatia and four off a leg bye got GT 15 runs from a Mohammed Siraj over.
BRIEF SCORES: RCB 170-6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 58, Rajat Patidar 52; Pradeep Sangwan 2-19) lost to GT 174-4 in 19.3 overs (David Miller 39 not out, Rahul Tewatia 43 not out; Shahbaz Ahmed 2-26, Wanindu Hasaranga 2-28) by 6 wickets.