Royal Challengers crush Deccan Chargers, qualify for Champions League
By IANSSaturday, April 24, 2010
MUMBAI - Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) crushed Deccan Chargers by nine wickets to finish third in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and also qualify for the Champions League Twenty20.
Deccan Chargers, after electing to bat, were bundled out for the lowest IPL total of 82 runs. RCB took 13.5 overs to complete the chase with Rahul Dravid scoring an unbeaten 35 off 30 balls while Kevin Pietersen contributed 29 off 21 balls with one four and two sixes.
Anil Kumble led from the front for RCB, taking four wickets while Praveen Kumar and Jacques Kallis took two wickets each in the play-off match.
Nothing went right for Deccan Chargers as they kept losing wickets with four of their batsmen dismissed for nought and four others scoring in single digits. Anirudh Singh was the top scorer with 40 off 39 balls with the help of four fours and one six. Venugopal Rao contributed 24 off 27 balls with two fours and a six.
RCB’s strong bowling line-up showed its class as Kumble removed Gilchrist in the first over before the others joined in the party. Speedster Dale Steyn and Praveen Kumar broke the Chargers’ back with two more quick wickets. The Chargers were soon down to three wickets for 15 runs inside four overs. They could never recover from the bad start.
Steyn struck another blow when he had big-hitter Andrew Symonds caught behind in the seventh over. Kumble removed Dwayne Smith and RCB were tottering at 35 for five.
Singh and Rao brought some relief in the Chargers camp with a 43-run stand but the two were separated within a space of four runs. Kallis rattled the stumps of Singh while Nayan Doshi got the wicket of Rao. The lower order caved in and Chargers folded up in 18.3 overs.
