AB-solutely classic De Villiers lights up Sharjah Stadium as Bangalore prevail over Kolkata

Mohammad Abdullah, Staff Reporter

AB de Villiers smashed a breath-taking 33-ball 73 as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) trounced Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in a lopsided Indian Premier League (IPL) match in Sharjah on Monday.

After posting a huge total of 194/2, Bangalore restricted Kolkata to a paltry 112/9. Navdeep Saini triggered the collapse with the wicket of Tom Banton, who was playing his first match. He replaced Sunil Narine, who did not play after being reported for a suspect bowling action in their match against Kings XI Punjab.

RCB tightened the screws over the course of the next few overs with Yuzvendra Chahal and Washington Sundar went on to pick three wickets in the space of five overs to derail the chase.

After the dismissal of Banton, Nitish Rana and Shubman Gill added 25 runs for the second wicket, taking the score to 51-2.

First, Sundar dismissed Rana in the eighth over after the left-hander failed to execute his slog sweep. Gill was the next man to get out following a misjudged single. A charged-up bowling attack of Bangalore saw seven Kolkata batsmen returning to pavilion without reach ing the double-figure mark.

All Bangalore’s bowlers chipped in with useful contributions and exposed the chinks in Kolkata’s fragile batting line-up that revolves around Gill and Morgan. Sundar and Chris Morris were the pick of the bowlers as they took two wickets apiece.

Earlier, a late blitz by South African swashbuckling batsman de Villiers propelled Bangalore to a daunting 194/2.

De Villiers, who came into bat at the fall of Faf du Plessis’ wicket, shared an unbroken 100-run partnership with captain Virat Kohli in just 7.4 overs to set Kolkata a huge target of 195.

He made his intentions clear right from the beginning as he got off the mark with a boundary. With the world’s two best batsmen on the crease, Bangalore were set to run riot. And they did it. Kohli and de Villiers plundered 83 runs in last five overs with a heavy downpour of sixes and boundaries.

When de Villiers came into bat, Kohli was already on 11. Soon, the former South African international overtook his captain. After the mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy bowled a tight 15th over against Kohli, conceding just four runs, De Villiers decide to cut loose. Bangalore were 111/2 at the end of the 15th over.

He took 18 runs off 16th over bowled by Kamlesh Nagarkoti, hitting two sixes and one four. Next over was more productive as he hit  Kolkata’s pace spearhead Pat  Cummins for two sixes and one four, collecting 19 runs.

After that, there was no stopping as the duo toyed with a hapless Kolkata attack.  De Villiers brought up his fifty with a six off Andre Russell in just 23 balls. His innings was studded with five boundaries and six over the fence.

Kohli played a perfect foil to him, scoring an unbeaten 33 off 28 deliveries with the help of just one four.

Earlier, Aaron Finch and Devdutt Padikkal gave Bangalore a strong start. They added 67 runs for the first wicket in just seven overs. Russell rattled the stumps of Padikkal, who scored 23-ball 32 to give Kolkata first breakthrough.