IPL: AB de Villiers hits unbeaten 89 in vain for RCB

Indian Premier League scores (Indore)
Kings XI Punjab won by eight wickets

Royal Challengers Bangalore: 148-4 (20/20) (De Villiers 89*, Mandeep 28; Aaron 2-21)

Kings XI Punjab: 150-2 (14.3/20) (Amla 58*, Maxwell 43*, Vohra 34)

Match report

AB de Villiers’ blistering knock of 89 not out from 46 balls was not enough to prevent Royal Challengers Bangalore slipping to an eight-wicket defeat to Kings XI Punjab.

The South African blasted nine sixes, including two that cleared the stadium, to drag RCB up to 148-4 from their 20 overs.

However, Kings XI eased to victory inside 15 overs courtesy of another Protea, Hashim Amla, who made 57 from 37 deliveries.

While De Villiers returned to the RCB line up, last year's beaten finalists were still without captain Virat Kohli and were also missing Chris Gayle.

That lack of batting power proved costly as the visitors, having chosen to bat first, failed to get going and slipped to 22-3 inside five overs. Even with De Villiers at the crease, runs remained hard to come by and when Mandeep Singh (28) fell in the 14th over, they were 68-4.

De Villiers came to life in the closing stages, clearing the ropes all around the ground in spectacular fashion to at least give RCB a total to defend.

However, it quickly became apparent that it would not be enough as Amla and Manan Vohra (34 from 21 balls) put on 62 for the first wicket.

Tymal Mills (1-22) made the breakthrough in his first over, trapping Vohra lbw with a slower ball, four balls after having Amla dropped on the boundary.

Axar Patel (9), who had impressed in taking 1-12 with the ball, was then bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal (1-29) but Glenn Maxwell came to the crease and brought the game to a swift conclusion.

Amla reached his half-century from 32 balls and was then able to take a backseat and watch as Maxwell (43 from 22 balls) smashed four sixes to get Kings XI over the line with 33 balls to spare.