Press Trust of India
Bangalore, April 17: Quniton de Kock (108, 51b, 15×4, 3×6) turned ‘Devil’ for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as Delhi Daredevils (DD) overcame the hosts by seven wickets to record their second win in IPL-IX here Sunday at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Chasing a formidable victory target of 192, De Kock and Karun Nair (54 n o, 6×4, 1×6) put on 134 runs in 78 balls to fashion a brilliant win for the visitors. De Kock fell in the 19th over, gloving a Shane Watson (2/25) short ball to be caught behind the stumps by Kedar Jadhav. But then DD needed only nine runs to win and Nair promptly hit a six to ease all nerves.
Earlier Virat Kohli (79, 48b, 7×4) played a captain’s knock while AB de Villers made a brisk 55 (33b, 9×4, 1×6) before DD pulled things back a little towards the end to restrict RCB to 191 for five.
Electing to bowl, captain Zaheer Khan (1/50) gave a dream start to DD by removing dangerous Chris Gayle of the third ball of the innings for a duck. Zaheer lured Gayle with a perfect outswinger to induce an edge and JP Duminy took a brilliant diving catch at the first slip to send back the big-hitting left-hander.
But then came in De Villiers and he struck Zaheer for two consecutive boundaries to make his intentions clear. Thereafter, it was all RCB as captain Kohli and De Villiers went hammer and tongs to stitch 106 runs off just 65 balls to power the hosts forward.
De Villers finally holed out to Mohammad Shami at long-on off Carlos Brathwaite (1/18) in the 12th over.
New man in Shane Watson (33, 19b, 2×4, 3×6) too looked in ominous form as he smashed Brathwaite for a six and two fours in three consecutive balls.
Kohli was as usual at his agressive best as he smacked Zaheer for two sixes and as many boundaries in the 16th over.
But just when it seemed the powerful RCB batting unit will run away with the game, they lost two quick wickets – Watson and Sarfaraz Khan – in the 17th over.