Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell scored contrasting half centuries and Wayne Parnell claimed three quick wickets to help the Royal Challengers Bangalore thrash the Rajasthan Royals by 112-runs with 9.3 overs to spare in their IPL match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday afternoon.
Having posted a competitive 171-5 on a difficult pitch the visitors bundled the home team out for a miserable 59 in just 10.3 overs with Parnell claiming 3-10 in his three overs. New Zealand offspinner Michael Bracewell took 2-16 as RCB reignited their bid for a play-off place.
Du Plessis extended his lead at the top of the run-scoring table having assessed conditions superbly and using 44 deliveries to reach 55 with three fours and two sixes before a tired drive to cover.
Maxwell, however, reached his 50 from 30 balls with typically adventurous and unorthodox strokeplay which brought him five fours and three sixes before me missed an outrageous reverse slog-sweep against seamer Sandeep Sharma and was bowled for 54 from 33 deliveries.
Virat Kohli (18 from 19 balls) once again failed to take advantage of the power-play at the top of the order hitting just a single boundary before mistiming a clever knuckle-ball from KM Asif to mid on.
The RCB total would have looked distinctly modest without a magnificent cameo in the final two overs by left-hander Anuj Rawat who smashed a potentially crucial 29 not out from only 11 balls with three fours and two sixes.
The Royals’ run-chase began disastrously with both openers dismissed for ducks, Yashasvi Jaiswal driving Mohammad Siraj to Kohli at mid off before Jos Buttler slapped Parnell to cover point.
Sanju Samson top-edged a hook against Parnell and the Proteas left-armer trapped Joe Root lbw with a perfect, inswinging yorker.
Shimron Hetmyer (35) blasted four sixes in 19 balls before holing out against Maxwell’s off-spin and the innings ended in complete disarray.
RCB move to within one point of the top-four places with 12 points from as many games while the Royals, also on 12 points, are all-but eliminated having played 13 matches with only one remaining.
RAJASTHAN ROYALS: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (captain & wkt), Joe Root, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Ravichandran Ashwin, Adam Zampa, Sandeep Sharma, KM Asif, Yuzvendra Chahal
ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE: Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis (captain), Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Mahipal Lomror, Dinesh Karthik (wkt), Michael Bracewell, Wayne Parnell, Karn Sharma, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj