NEW DELHI – Chris Gayle produced a blistering 128 not out as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Delhi Daredevils by 21 runs at Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium to remain in contention for the Indian Premier League playoffs on Thursday.
Gayle bludgeoned 13 sixes and seven fours off only 62 balls and partnered in an unbroken double century stand with Virat Kohli (73) as Bangalore amassed 215-1. Delhi scored 194-9 in reply with Ross Taylor producing a valiant 26-ball 55.
Gayle scored only one run off the first nine deliveries he faced, but launched a relentless attack that saw him strike three consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Pawan Negi and also dispatch Irfan Pathan for three sixes in an over.
It was Gayle’s third IPL century and the second highest IPL score after Brendon McCullum’s 158 not out for Kolkata Knight Riders against Bangalore in the first match of the inaugural edition in 2008.
Gayle and Kohli added 204 in what is the second highest partnership in five seasons of IPL and came exactly one year after Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh established the record of 206 for Kings XI Punjab versus Bangalore last year.
Bangalore has eight wins, six losses and a no-result from 15 games. Delhi, which has already qualified for the playoffs, has 10 wins and five losses from 15.
At Dharamshala, Adam Gilchrist hit an unbeaten half-century to guide Kings XI Punjab to a six-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings to also remain in contention.
The Punjab captain, returning to action after recovering from an abdomen injury, compiled an unbeaten 64 in a total of 123-4 in 16.3 overs.
The team’s seamers of Praveen Kumar, Parvinder Awana and Azhar Mahmood had earlier taken two wickets each to restrict Chennai to 120-7 on a lively pitch at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
Gilchrist, who also took four catches behind the stumps, struck two sixes and nine fours in 46 deliveries to see his team through with ease.
West Indies allrounder Dwayne Bravo fought a lone battle, hitting three sixes and two fours off 43 balls before falling to Ryan Harris in the last over of the innings. Bravo also took two wickets later.
Punjab has eight wins and seven losses with one more match to go against Delhi Daredevils. Chennai has eight wins, seven losses and one no-result and has no matches left. The team must wait on other results for its playoffs fate.
Scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 215-1 (Chris Gayle 128 not out, Virat Kohli 73 not out) def. Delhi Daredevils 194-9 (Ross Taylor 55, Venugopal Rao 36; Prasanth Parmeswaran 3-30, Zaheer Khan 3-38, Vinay Kumar 2-35).
Kings XI Punjab 123-4 in 16.3 overs (Adam Gilchrist 64 not out; Dwayne Bravo 2-18) def. Chennai Super Kings 120-7 (Dwayne Bravo 48; Parvinder Awana 2-12, Praveen Kumar 2-18, Azhar Mahmood 2-28).
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