BANGALORE: opener Chris Gayle bludgeoned his way to a stunning 57-ball 117 as Royal Challengers Bangalore hammered Kings XI Punjab by 138 runs in their first IPL match on Wednesday.
Scorecard
Punjab paid dearly for dropping Gayle twice – 27 and 53 – as the Caribbean southpaw came to hitting his fifth century IPL and led his team to a mammoth 226/3.
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It was a daunting task for a demoralized Punjab to pursue a total just capitulated under pressure. The only thing they achieved was only 88 in 13.4 overs.
It was the second most important in the history of IPL run margin of victory, just 140 runs behind victory Kolkata Knight Riders’ on RCB in the 2008 edition.
Left-arm paceman Sreenath Aravind (4/27) rocked the Punjab top and middle order, while Mitchell Starc (4/15) polishing of the lowest order.
Punjab batsmen inexplicably surrendered without any fight and were reduced to 34/5 in six scales, without possibility of redemption.
When Starc (4/15) rolled his compatriot Mitchell Johnson and Anureet Singh in the ninth, Punjab were panting at 49/8 and looking at the lowest total in the tournament (58 Rajasthan Royals in 2009).
But Patel Axar blushes saved them with an unbeaten 40 from 21 balls fighting.
With this victory, Bangalore have improved their chances of making the playoffs, as they have jumped to third place in the table with 11 points from 10 matches.
Before being captured and rolled Axar spinner Patel, Gayle entertained fans by hitting 12 sixes and seven fours and the unlucky players Punjab kept seeing the shots flying overhead and disappearing into the stands.
With skipper Virat Kohli (32), Gayle shared a 119-run stand in just 11.2 overs and later with AB de Villiers (47 not out) lifted a partnership of 71 runs in just 5.4 overs.
Gayle completed his century by guiding a full toss to Johnson-square leg for four.
Only Anureet Singh managed respectable figures of Punjab. It did not take wickets but gave away just 25 runs in his four overs.
Gayle carnage began in the second over of the match when Australian paceman Johnson threw up and was punished for the Caribbean, who creamed off 20 runs in that along with two sixes and two fours.
The Caribbean was in full swing big and next to the most affected by his anger was Sandeep Sharma, who conceded 23 runs in the next time. Sandeep but he had created a chance to get Gayle out after being hit by a six on the first ball. Skipper George Bailey dropped a skier out next ball along the corridor. Gayle was 27 at that time.
Bangalore crossed mark 50 runs in just four overs even Kohli was playing second fiddle at the other end. Indian test captain got into the groove with two extra cover most exquisite shots.
Despite persistently refused six on Anureet Singh when the ball in his shot hit the cable cam spider, Gayle completed his half century in just 22 balls.
Gayle also completed 3,000 runs in IPL with a single in the eighth Anureet over. It’s only the fourth player to do so.
Axar Patel could have gotten wicket of Gayle in his first ball, but Manan Vohra, who replaced Virender Sehwag, dropped the Caribbean.
Gayle kept hitting monstrous blows but Kohli was shot by Sandeep in the 12th over. De Villiers played superbly, punish Punjab bowlers with seven boundaries.
