IPL: Kohli hits half-century in vain for Bangalore

IPL scores ( Maharashtra Stadium, Pune)

Result:  Rising Pune Supergiant won by 61 runs

Rising Pune Supergiant:  157-3 (Smith 45, Tiwary 44*, Tripathi 37, Dhoni 21*)

 Royal Challengers Bangalore: 96-6 (Kohli 55; Tahir 3-18, Ferguson 2-7)

Match report

Virat Kohli's half-century failed to mask another hapless batting display from Royal Challengers Bangalore as Rising Pune Supergiant ran out victors by 61 runs on home turf in Pune to consolidate their place in the top four of IPL 10.

Kohli scored 55 as Bangalore, rolled over for 49 by Kolkata in their last outing - the lowest score in IPL history - limped to 96-9 overs in reply to Supergiant's modest 157-3.

Imran Tahir (3-18) was the pick of a home attack for the second match in succession.

"It's hard for a captain to stand here and speak after a performance like this but we've got to embrace it. We're trying hard but it's lack of intent, the guys are fearful of getting out and failing, and that's never a good feeling," said Kohli afterwards

In a match featuring the leading batsmen in all formats, it was Test cricket's number one Steve Smith who got one over white-ball, world beaters Kohli (T20) and AB de Villiers (ODIs).

Skipper Smith (45) was quickly into his work, giving Supergiant a solid platform together with in-form Rahul Tripathi, who struck 37 off 28 balls before snicking behind.

The Australian missed out on a fifty when he skied a catch to deep backward square and after that the innings rather stuttered.

Manoj Tiwary (44no) and MS Dhoni (21no) could never quite cut loose - Adam Milne and Sreenath Aravind following up tidy work from spinner Pawan Negi (1-18) in the middle overs with some decent death bowling.

With Chris Gayle not picked, Travis Head (five) stepped up to partner Kohli at the top of the RCB order but lasted just five balls - bowled on the pull by Unadkat.

De Villiers' lean run continued as he drilled Lockie Ferguson to extra cover and a horror mix up with Kohli accounted for Kedar Jadhav, run out by the length of the pitch, making it 44-3.

Sachin Baby, Stuart Binny and Negi fell for single figures, leaving RCB in the mire at 61-6 off 13 overs and leaving Kohli - who reached his fifty with a six off Tahir - to carry the innings.

That maximum, the first boundary scored in 66 balls, was the only one of the innings.

Kohli fell trying to power another six over cover but by then RCB's hopes of reaching the play-offs were already all but over.