Rajasthan give Bangalore a Royal beating in IPL

Challengers blown away as Rajasthan romp home with six-wicket win.

Listless Bangalore were sent packing for a woeful 70 runs on a placid Abu Dhabi track as former winners Rajasthan Royal eased to a six-wicket win in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match played on Saturday.

Batting first, the Royal Challengers Bangalore folded for their paltry total in only 15 overs. Virat Kohli was the top scorer with 21 accumulated on 25 balls.

Other than the star India batsman, none of the top-order players reached double figures against a probing Rajasthan attack. Spinner Pravin Tambe mopped up the lower-order, claiming four wickets for 20 runs off his quota.

The damage was done at the top of the innings when the first five fell for 17 runs. Kane Richardson took two wickets to set up an easy job for Tambe and the rest of the bowling attack.

Rajasthan coasted towards the target, surpassing their opposition’s total in 13 overs. Captain Shane Watson scored an unbeaten run-a-ball 24 with the help of two sixes and a solitary four. Ajinkya Rahane contributed 23 runs off 19 balls at the top of the innings. His knock included four hits to the fence.

Australian fast-bowler Mitchell Starc took two wickets in his four over spell, conceding 29 runs in the process.

Spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took one wicket, but there was very little the Bangalore bowling attack could do to thwart the opposition due to the extremely inadequate target set by their batsmen.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2014.

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