Royal Challengers Bangalore's playoff hopes were virtually extinguished on Thursday after defeat to Gujarat Lions at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The home side could only scramble together a score of 134, after yet another limp batting performance, before Gujarat sailed home in 13.5 overs.
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detail
Aaron Finch clobbered a 34-ball-72 as Suresh Raina's men completed a seven-wicket victory to claim their third win of the IPL season and climb to sixth position on the table.
Finch arrived after two early wickets fell, but he quickly killed off any interest in the run chase with some stunning hitting. The Australian announced his arrival with two fierce sixes off Samuel Badree, RCB spirits sinking no sooner than they had risen. Finch hammered six sixes in all, Yuzvendra Chahal, Pawan Negi and Aniket Choudhary all feeling the force of his bat. Raina and he added 92 runs for the third wicket in eight overs. It did not help RCB that Raina was caught off a no-ball; not that it would have affected the outcome.
Earlier, having been inserted in to bat, RCB lost its first three wickets in the space of four deliveries, Andrew Tye causing much damage. Virat Kohli sent Basil Thampi soaring into the leg-side boundary with a flick of his wrists in the second over, but this was an evening on which the batsman did not look himself. Soon after, Kohli pulled the same bowler into the hands of short fine-leg. Two balls later, Tye struck with his opening delivery, having Chris Gayle edge behind. Travis Head fell next ball, surprised by a rising delivery from Tye to be caught at slip. The Australian bowler found himself on a hat-trick for the second time this season, and although he could not complete it on this occasion, his job had been done. Tye finished with figures of three for 12 from his four overs.
Only Kedar Jadhav and Negi made contributions of any significance; both fell in their thirties, playing needless shots. Jadhav was castled by a flat, quick ball from Ravindra Jadeja, trying to steer the bowler through third man. A.B. de Villiers was run out for five, owing to a misunderstanding with Mandeep Singh.
Negi struck two sixes off Ankit Soni in the 14th over; he attempted a third but was held on the mid-wicket boundary. It was unnecessary and wasteful; it symbolized RCB's effort on the night.
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