Royal Challengers Bangalore completed a clinical win over Kings XI Punjab at the Holkar Stadium, Mohali. Chasing a meager total of 88 runs, RCB openers Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli championed the effort and got the team across the line. The 10-wicket win has now boosted RCB’s net run-rate into positive while it has dragged down Kings XI Punjab from the top-four.

So far for Kings XI Punjab, the major contributing factor for their wins so far was the opening pair of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, The duo so far had accounted for almost two-thirds of the team runs. Their middle order was not delivering and it failed spectacularly tonight too. Hence the dismissal of Gayle-Rahul in the single over was the turning point of the match.

The start was a decent one as KL Rahul and Gayle were taking their time and had soon started smacking boundaries. The probable surge of runs was coming until the ball was handed to Umesh Yadav. The last time these two met, it was Umesh Yadav who had rocked KXIP with 3 wickets in an over. Tonight was similar.

Bowling the fifth over, Yadav forced KL Rahul to play a pull shot which was lapped up by De Grandhomme. In the same over, he induced Gayle into a mishit which was caught by Mohammad Siraj. The hopes of KXIP fell flat with the departure of these two and the middle order was now exposed. From 36/0, they crashed to 41/2.

With the exception of Aaron Finch’s 26, no other batsman took the responsibility. No one could even cross the double figures. By the end, there were three run-outs and Punjab was folded up for 88. Umesh Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with 3/23. RCB chased the required 89 runs in 49 balls without losing a wicket.