IPL 2020: De Villiers, spinners shine as Bangalore thrash Kolkata

Dubai - After winning the toss, openers Devdutt Padikkal and Aaron Finch laid the foundation with a 67-run partnership

AB de Villiers' masterclass (33-ball 73) in an unbroken 100-run partnership with Virat Kohli (28-ball 33), and a sensational display from spinners Yuzvendra Chahal (1/12) and Washington Sundar (2/20) helped Royal Challengers Bangalore script a thumping 82-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.
De Villiers and Kohli also completed 3,000 runs as a pair in the Indian Premier League and the top-order fired as Bangalore made 194/2 after electing to bat.
And while defending, Bangalore bowlers were on target as they restricted Kolkata to 112/9.
The dismantling of Kolkata started with pacer Navdeep Saini picking Tom Banton (12-ball 8). The in-form Kolkata opener Shubman Gill took two fours and a six off Mohammed Siraj to keep up the momentum.
But spinners Chahal and Sundar gave away just three runs each in their first overs to build pressure. And soon Sundar dismissed Nitish Rana (9).
It would have been two-in-two but Gill, at 31, was dropped by Aaron Finch off Chahal. Gill (25-ball 34) couldn't make Bangalore pay as he got himself run out. Kolkata managed only 61/3 after 10 overs.
Kolkata then slipped into a hole as Chahal bowled skipper Dinesh Karthik (1) and Sundar plucked Eoin Morgan (8). Both the spinners, bowling in tandem, destroyed Kolkata with remarkable effort of 7 overs for 28 runs and scalping three batsmen.
Kolkata, though, got a reprieve as Andre Russell was dropped by Padikkal off Chris Morris. Needing 124 from seven overs, Russell struck a few lusty blows but Udana had the last laugh. Russell (10-ball 16) departed with Kolkata at 85/6. There was clearly no miraculous recovery for Kolkata.
And Morris, finally, got to the wicket's column by dismissing Pat Cummins (1). Siraj ended Rahul Tripathi's (22-ball 16) stay. Morris bowled Kamlesh Nagarkoti (4) as Kolkata folded for 112 runs.
Earlier opting to bat, openers Padikkal and Finch laid the foundation with a 67-run partnership in some seven overs. Finch set the tone with a thunderous six that landed into the street. Both the openers enjoyed generous freebies of missed catches and misfielding resulting into a boundary and a six.
Russell finally nailed Padikkal (23-ball 32) with a straight one. Other Kolkata bowlers Chakravarthy and Nagarkoti were efficient in the middle overs giving away 33 runs from their six overs. Looking for runs, Finch (37-ball 47) tried to attack Prasidh Krishna but was undone by his yorker.
De Villiers joined Kohli but the pair trotted at run-a-ball to 111/2 by 15 overs. Just when it felt Kolkata had the upper hand, de Villiers changed the nature of the game with high-class power hitting.
The 36-year-old South African smacked Nagarkoti for two sixes and a four, repeating the punishment against Cummins.
He hit Russell for a maximum to race to a 23-ball 50. De Villiers' show inspired Kohli to nick a boundary after facing 25 balls.
De Villiers went on a rampage as the two batsmen scored 83 runs from the last five overs to amass a winning total.
Bangalore moved to third spot with 10 points behind Delhi Capitals and leaders Mumbai Indians as Kolkata dropped to fourth spot.
 
 

• IPL 2019