Photo: iplt20
New Delhi: Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered another batting collapse as the entire team was bowled out for 119 runs at M. Chinnaswammy stadium in Benguluru on Friday.
Kings XI Punjab defend the lowest of this edition (138 runs) and also kept their playoff hopes alive.
Mandeep Singh was only performer for RCB as he managed to score 46 runs off 40 deliveries. He was among the only three batsmen to cross double digit figure.
Sandeep Sharma and Axar Patel bowled exceptionally well to send half of the RCB team back to the pavilion. Sanddep clinched 3 wickets for 22, while Axar grabbed 3 for 11 in 3 overs.
Earlier, Axar Patel's 17-ball-38 enabled Kings XI Punjab reach a respectable 138 for 7 on a difficult track against a disciplined Royal Challengers Bangalore in an Indian Premier League.
Axar hit three fours and two sixes with 19 runs off the 20th over bowled by Shane Watson (1/43 in 4 overs) helped KXIP reach closer to 140 -- something that looked impossible after 19 overs.
On a slow Chinnaswamy track, none of the Kings XI Punjab batsmen save Axar looked comfortable with run-scoring being an arduous job.
The normally flamboyant Manan Vohra (25, 28 balls) also played a subdued knock hitting a six and a four.
Wriddhiman Saha, India's 'Test wicketkeeper' played like a longer-format specialist trying to drop anchor during his painstaking 21 off 25 balls. He looked completely out-of-sorts as it has been the case with him throughout the IPL.
It was Patel coming in at No 7, who gave the innings some sort of impetus during the end overs with his lovely cameo.
Left-arm pacer Aniket Chaudhary (2/17 in 4 overs) gave RCB breakthrough in the very first over when Hashim Amla (1) got a faintest of an edge to be snapped by Kedar Jadhav behind the stumps.
Martin Guptill (9) was done in by the slowish track as he sliced Sreenath Aravind (1/13 in 2 overs) to Pawan Negi stationed at sweeper cover.
Shaun Marsh (20) looked elegant during his short stay but trying to hoick Negi (1/21 in 3 overs) over long-off saw him offer Mandeep Singh a simple catch.
Vohra played a slog-sweep off Negi effectively, hitting him for a six before trying to repeat the same shot off Yuzvendra Chahal (2/21 in 4 overs). He was holed out at long- on by AB de Villiers.