Gambhir shines; KKR beat Bangalore

KKR made a couple of changes to their playing eleven – Manvinder Bisla and Lakshmipathy Balaji made way for Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Iqbal Abdulla.

RCB made no changes to their playing eleven.

On winning the toss, Gautam Gambhir, KKR’s skipper and the player of the match, chose to bat.

The first Powerplay of KKR’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the fourth over. They scored 46, without the loss of a wicket.

KKR’s openers put on 50 off 6.2 overs (38 balls). RCB had conceded three extras at that point. While Brendon McCullum’s contribution to the partnership was 11, Gambhir’s contribution to it was 36.

Gambhir’s half-century – which included eight boundaries and a six – came off 28 balls.

McCullum, whose 37-ball innings included eight boundaries, eventually scored 43. Sixty-three balls later, Daniel Vettori, RCB’s skipper, broke the 95-run partnership.

KKR scored 100 off 11.3 overs (69 balls). RCB had conceded three extras at that point.

The second-wicket pair put on 50 off 34 balls. While Gambhir’s contribution to the partnership was 34, Jacques Kallis’ contribution to it was 16. Extras didn’t contribute to the partnership.

KKR scored 150 off 16.3 overs (99 balls). RCB had conceded three extras at that point.

Gambhir, whose 51-ball innings included nine boundaries and five sixes, eventually scored 93. Forty-nine balls after McCullum’s dismissal, he was caught by K P Appanna. Zaheer Khan broke the 80-run partnership.

Kallis, whose 27-ball innings included a boundary and three sixes, scored 41. Four balls later, he was caught by Harshal Patel. Needless to say, Vinay Kumar was in seventh heaven.

Although his four-ball innings included a six, Yusuf Pathan had no reason to be in seventh heaven – four balls later, he was caught by Tillakaratne Dilshan. Vinay broke the eight-run stand.

Manoj Tiwary, who faced a ball, scored a run. He was unbeaten.

RCB eventually conceded five extras. KKR scored 190 for the loss of four wickets off 20 overs.

Dilshan, who bowled a couple of overs, conceded 19. He was wicketless, as were Patel and Appanna, who bowled three overs apiece. While the former conceded 35, the latter conceded 27.

Khan and Vettori bowled four overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 48, the latter conceded 29.

Vinay, who bowled four overs, conceded 31. He picked up a couple of scalps.

The first Powerplay of RCB’s innings – which was the mandatory Powerplay – was between the first and the fourth over. They scored 35, and lost three wickets.

Dilshan, who faced three balls, scored a run. An over into the chase, he was caught by Rajat Bhatia. Pathan broke the two-run stand.

Virat Kohli, whose 19-ball innings included three boundaries, scored 18. Twenty-six balls later, he was trapped leg before wicket by Kallis, who broke the 32-run stand.

The third-wicket pair didn’t get off the mark. De Villiers, who faced A Ball, didn’t open his account. The next ball, he was caught by Shukla off the bowling of Kallis.

RCB scored 50 off 9.3 overs (57 balls). KKR had conceded four extras at that point.

Saurabh Tiwary, whose 22-ball innings included a boundary and a six, scored 19. Forty-four balls after de Villiers’ dismissal, he was caught by Gambhir. Bhatia broke the 43-run stand.

RCB scored 100 off 16.1 overs (98 balls). KKR had conceded five extras at that point. That was, incidentally, the number of extras they eventually conceded.

Mayank Agarwal, whose 13-ball innings included a boundary, scored 10. Twenty-seven balls after Tiwary’s dismissal, Sunil Narine broke the 35-run stand.

Chris Gayle’s half-century – which included four boundaries and three sixes – came off 42 balls.

He eventually scored 86 off 58 balls, which included seven boundaries and half-a-dozen sixes. Fifteen balls after Agarwal’s dismissal, he was caught by McCullum. Shukla broke the 31-run stand.

Vettori, who faced four balls, scored as many. He was unbeaten, as was Kumar, who faced a ball, failing to open his account.

RCB, who scored 143 for the loss of half-a-dozen wickets off 20 overs, lost by 47 runs.

Brett Lee, who bowled four wicketless overs, conceded 34.

Shukla, who bowled an over, conceded five. He picked up a wicket.

Bhatia, who bowled three overs, conceded 41. He picked up a wicket.

Pathan and Narine bowled four overs each, picking up a wicket apiece. While the former conceded 19, the latter conceded 11.

Kallis, who bowled four overs, conceded 31. He picked up a couple of scalps.