Jadhav (69 off 37 balls) helps Bangalore beat Delhi

Kedar Jadhav of Royal Challengers Bangalore celebrates his half-century (AFP)

Despite a superb half-century from the talented Rishabh Pant, Delhi Daredevils lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore by 15 runs in the fifth match of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday
The 19-year-old Pant (57, 36 balls) was in magnificent form but the diminutive left-hander didn't get the support he needed from the other Delhi batsmen.
Chasing 158 for victory, Delhi could only make 142/9 in 20 overs.  
Earlier, Kedar Jadhav's fiery half century lifted Bangalore to 157/7 before Delhi Daredevils applied the brakes.
The Maharashtra batsman not only blasted a quick-fire 37-ball 69, laced with five fours and as many sixes, but more importantly shared a 66-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Stuart Binny (16) to help the hosts recover from a precarious 55/3.
Jadhav picked out leg-spinner Amit Mishra for special treatment, hammering two sixes and couple of fours in the 13th over.
In the following over, the diminutive right-hander smashed West Indian medium pacer Carlos Brathwaite for a six and a four as he completed his 50 runs in 26 deliveries.
Jadhav also chipped in with 21 runs for the fifth wicket with rookie Vishnu Vinod (9) before Delhi skipper Zaheer Khan put the brakes on the scoring rate with two quick wickets - effected Vinod's run out with Shahbaz Nadeem's throw and induced Jadhav with a slower one only to be caught by Chris Morris at mid-off.
The fall of Jadhav and Vinod in quick succession shifted the momentum in favour of the visitors, after which Pawan Negi (10), Iqbal Abdullah (5 not out) and Tymal Mills (0) failed to accelerate.
Earlier, Delhi pacers - Zaheer (2/31), Chris Morris (3/21) and Pat Cummins (1/29) - kept it tight at the beginning, keeping the runs in check.
Morris accounted for the explosive Jamaican Chris Gayle (6), with the left-handed batsman mistiming a full toss delivery and was caught by Sanju Samson at mid-wicket.
Mandeep Singh (12) too didn't last long, chopping a delivery from Cummins on to his stumps as RCB were reduced to 41/2 in 5.5 overs.
Their problems increased as stand-in captain Shane Watson (24) missed the line of a delivery from left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem and was stumped by wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant in the ninth over.
At 55/3, Jadhav and Binny joined hands and they resurrected the RCB innings before Zaheer broke the partnership when Binny carted one to the hands of Sam Billings at deep mid-wicket.
SCOREBOARD
Royal Challengers Bangalore
C Gayle c Samson b Morris 6
S Watson st Pant b Nadeem 24
Mandeep Singh b Cummins 12
K Jadhav c Morris b Khan 69
S Binny c Billings b Khan 16
Vishnu Vinod run out 9
P Negi b Morris 10
Iqbal Abdulla not out 5
T Mills b Morris 0
Extras (lb 2, w 4) 6
Total: (8 wickets; 20 overs) 157
Fall: 1-26, 2-41, 3-55, 4-121, 5-142, 6-142, 7-157, 8-157
Bowling: Zaheer 4-0-31-2; Morris 4-0-21-3; Cummins 4-0-29-1; Nadeem 4-0-13-1; Mishra 2-0-32-0; Brathwaite 2-0-29-0
Delhi Daredevils
A Tare b Mills 18
S Billings c Stanlake b Abdulla 25
K Nair b Stanlake 4
S Samson c Binny b Stanlake 13
R Pant b Negi 57
C Morris lbw Iqbal Abdulla 4
C Brathwaite b Chahal 1
P Cummins b Watson 6
A Mishra not out 8
S Nadeem c&b Negi 0
Z Khan not out 1
Extras (lb 1, w 4) 5
Total: (9 wickets; 20 overs) 142
Fall: 1-33, 2-38, 3-55, 4-84, 5-107, 6-113, 7-125, 8-139, 9-139
Bowling: Stanlake 4-0-29-2; Chahal 4-0-19-1; Abdulla 3-0-36-2; Mills 4-0-33-1; Watson 4-0-21-1; Negi 1-0-3-2
 
 

• IPL 2019