RCB falls for its lowest total this season

At one stage in the innings, RCB was struggling at 89 for eight and would have capitulated for even less had it not been for a Tim Southee-led revival at the death.

Virat Kohli scored eight off 11 balls before being bowled by left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja.

Royal Challengers Bangalore stuttered to its lowest total this Indian Premier League season, managing 127 for nine in its 20 overs against Chennai Super Kings at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune . At one stage in the innings, Royal Challengers was struggling at 89 for eight and would have capitulated for even less had it not been for a Tim Southee-led revival at the death. The previous lowest total for the side was 159 for six against Kings Xi Punjab on April 13.

The side was undone by a sharp middle-order collapse, catalysed by Chennai Super Kings’ spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja. From 56 for two, Royal Challengers fell to 89 for eight before the lower order dug in to minimise the damage. Southee’ 36* was the second-highest individual score after opener Parthiv Patel’s 53; the duo were the only ones to manage double-figure scores.

Jadeja and Harbhajan took five wickets between them, while seamers Lungi Ngidi and David Willey managed one each. Two lower-order batsmen were run out.

Kohli, de Villiers falter

Much would have been expected from captain Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, but both fell cheaply and in quick succession. Kohli managed to score eight off 11 deliveries, while de Villiers was dismissed for one off four balls.

Low totals are not new to Royal Challengers. It holds the record for the lowest-ever total in the competition — 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 23 last year.