END OF OVER:
20 | 9 Runs 2 Wkts | PBKS: 185/7 (18 runs required, RR: 9.25)

  • Mandeep Singh4 (4b)
  • Murugan Ashwin1 (2b)
  • Umesh Yadav4-0-36-3
  • Navdeep Saini4-0-33-2

That closes things out for us. Thanks for your company. Good night (or better yet, pop over here to follow the Manchester derby!)

AB de Villiers is the Man of the Match for his ridiculously cool innings. He struck at a run-a ball for his first 25. Then, after that, he went at 300! "I really just try to stay calm. It's not easy. Game is happening quickly. But you have your team-mates around you to share the load [death-overs batting]. We know our home ground pretty well. It hasn't been a great hunting ground at the start but if we can keep going with this momentum, we'll do well. And you can see it, lots of smiles on the faces. I still thought the par score was 180. I actually felt it was 160 but it got better to bat in the second innings. So the boys bowled really well"

"Yeah, we've won four of the five. Could have been five out of five. We were just looking to enjoy the cricket and tonight was a great example of having fun. The game changing partnership was Marcus and AB. They brought us to 200 which looked highly unlikely. We thought 175 would have been good," Virat Kohli says. "The only focus was to play well as a team. Losing six in a row really hurt us. Literally no one in the team has been part of such a streak. So we just refreshed, thought about just enjoying ourselves and the important thing now is not to take on any pressure. We know how we play. The world knows how we play. [Extra spinners] Especially with the two left-handers they had. Moeen and Washi bowled really well and having six-seven bowling options really help. Also Marcus as the allrounder gives a lot of flexibility"

11.45 pm "There can be so many places where we feel we lost the game. But at the end of the day, a T20 game is all about pressure moments and we haven't been able to do that in the last few games," says R Ashwin. "If we had more experience in the middle order, we could have done something. We are right into it [playoffs] It's all about getting one win and we'll get on a roll. Like RCB. It's important to keep trust in the players. We've held on to the same batting order through the tournament. Giving players a chance. It's really important to back the players. We were always in the game. We haven't been outplayed by any opposition. The one area we need to work on is Powerplay bowling and the death others. It's time the bowlers stood up there"

Harish Prabakar: "I can understand how much this 2 points in important but such a disgusting gesture from Virat after taking Ashwin's catch in that final over. Come on dude is your mate still in your Indian colors." --- He took the catch to dismiss Ashwin, then seemed to knock something back behind him with it - almost like a bowler does when he runs out a non-striker backing up too far. I'll leave you guys to interpret that

Sunil: "@Harish - I believe Kohli was gesticulating to Umesh for not bowling in line with the stumps. " ---- I seriously doubt it. Ashwin too was perturbed by that reaction. Threw his gloves angrily down into the dugout floor

Devansh: "I don't know if winning such matches at near par scores will help them or not. RCB need to win with big margins in next few matches to fancy there chances of qualifying. Besides, what happens when siraj returns in and southee flies away. Steyn and moen are gone already."

"I think we have nothing to lose, " says Parthiv Patel. "Before the tournament started, we felt slightly unlucky, but now it's just about playing well and enjoying ourselves. I've been practicing hard .if I go fast, Kohli can take his time, that's it. Making sure we have four fielders in the circle. Just making sure the right fielders are at the right places and conveying the right length to bowl on a wicket [his role as wicketkeeper] Have quite a few tight wins now, a few of them didn't go our way earlier so happy now"

11.40pm This game ebbed and flowed outrageously, but in the end Royal Challengers have come out on top and secured a vital two points to keep their campaign alive. AB de Villiers had an awesome game, match-turning innings, pressure-riddled catches. His assault during the end-overs has turned out to be the game-clinger. 64 runs in the last three overs when RCB batted. Kings XI, meanwhile, only managed 18 runs in their last three overs, losing four wickets!

Kalyan : "Can someone please sit me down and tell me why AB is not playing the world cup? This is just astonishing."

Thomas: "Yes, there are still 3 games to go. Yes, this might jinx it. But RCB #WeBelieve"

SACHU: "Of all the 8 teams, only RCB have won their last 3 games. And they finally got off from the bottom of the points table"

19.6
2
Yadav to Mandeep Singh, 2 runs, spanked out to wide long off, and that's that
19.5
1
Yadav to M Ashwin, 1 run, dropped by Kohli! Well, the game's safe so it won't be a costly mistake, but these never look good. The ball was slogged almost straight to him, but it just pops out of his reverse-cupped hands. De Villiers, close to him at long off, has a chuckle
19.4
0
Yadav to M Ashwin, no run, no hat trick for Yadav, but Ashwin is nonetheless beaten by a full one that zips past his flailing bat outside off
19.3
W
Yadav to Viljoen, OUT, gloved down the leg side, and this game is safe now. Umesh greets his fellow quick Hardus with a bumper first up, and he can only get a glove on it. Parthiv makes ground and tumbles to his left to hold the low, dipping chance, and Yadav is on a hat trick as the Chinnaswamy finds its voice once more

GC Viljoen c †Patel b Yadav 0 (1m 1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00

19.2
W
Yadav to R Ashwin, OUT, but maybe it is now. The ball was a similar one, so the shot was on again, but Ashwin just didn't get the connection he was looking for. He still got enough on it to make the catch a difficult one - Kohli had to time his leap, right next to the boundary at long on, just right, but he does so and holds the catch cleanly

R Ashwin c Kohli b Yadav 6 (2m 2b 0x4 1x6) SR: 300.00

19.1
6
Yadav to R Ashwin, SIX, but Ashwin still believes! Yadav offers up a length delivery on the stumps, and the skipper just slams it straight down the ground. This ain't over yet

Forecaster has written Kings XI off, just a 0.25% probability of winning now

END OF OVER:
19 | 3 Runs 2 Wkts | PBKS: 176/5 (27 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 9.26, RRR: 27.00)

  • Mandeep Singh2 (3b)
  • Navdeep Saini4-0-33-2
  • Umesh Yadav3-0-27-1
18.6
W
Saini to Pooran, OUT, another skied slog, but this one is held! If anything, this one went even further up in the air than the last chance as Pooran backed away and heaved at a full one. The ball is in the air for an age, coming down with ice on it, but if there's one fielder you'd trust to hold such a difficult chance, it's de Villiers. He settles under the swirling chance, and has to dive at the last minute to get to it, but clings on

N Pooran c de Villiers b Saini 46 (40m 28b 1x4 5x6) SR: 164.28

18.5
1
Saini to Mandeep Singh, 1 run,
18.4
1
Saini to Pooran, 1 run, Pooran sets himself to smash this short one over square leg, but the ball goes completely in the opposite direction, bouncing out to deep point for a single. Pooran's in no danger of under-hitting one
18.3
1
Saini to Mandeep Singh, 1 run, Mandeep is rushed by a ball that spits off a length at 140km/h, but he gets enough bat on it to turn the strike over with a single to long on
18.2
0
Saini to Mandeep Singh, no run, and he attempts a cheeky paddle-scoop first ball, but Saini rushes a full ball right between his legs for a vital dot ball

Sarvan2020: "OMG another 10 ball 30 runs thriller "

Enter Mandeep Singh

18.1
W
Saini to Miller, OUT, caught at long on! Well, Stoinis has just dropped Pooran, but de Villiers makes no mistake in the deep to get rid of Miller. The ball was full, and the shot was on, but Miller just didn't get the height or the distance he was looking for. AB made ground, running around in front of the sightscreen and then diving forward to hold the chance

DA Miller c de Villiers b Saini 24 (42m 25b 2x4 0x6) SR: 96.00

Two overs remain. Kings XI need 30.

END OF OVER:
18 | 6 Runs | PBKS: 173/3 (30 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 9.61, RRR: 15.00)

  • Nicholas Pooran45 (26b)
  • David Miller24 (24b)
  • Umesh Yadav3-0-27-1
  • Tim Southee3-0-33-0


Forecaster has Kings XI winning at 24% at the end of 18 overs. It had been as high as 62% at 16.2.

17.6
0
Yadav to Pooran, no run, Pooran is going to hurt his back if he keeps swinging this hard at the ball! I'm not sure where he was looking to hit this, but if he had managed to put bat on ball, it would have travelled. As it happens, he's beaten outside off
17.5
1
Yadav to Miller, 1 run, quick single! Miller taps to cover and they just set off. A direct hit would have been interesting
17.5
1w
Yadav to Miller, 1 wide,
17.4
1
Yadav to Pooran, 1 run, dropped by Stoinis! Pooran backed away and top edged a wild pull high into the night sky. Stoinis seemed to keep his eyes on it all the way, getting under the chance, but he kept his hands low trying to catch it and it just popped straight out. No reverse cup either from the Australian. Could that be the game? Could that be the end of RCB's campaign?
17.3
1
Yadav to Miller, 1 run, Miller whips a full one into the leg side with plenty of bottom hand
17.2
1
Yadav to Pooran, 1 run, Pooran has almost swung himself off his feet trying to hit this, but it comes on to him just a bit too quickly and he toe-ends it down to long off

Harsha : "The difference between 2 teams might not be AB and rather Ashwin"

17.1
1
Yadav to Miller, 1 run, Miller does exactly as he needs to, dropping the ball close in on the leg side for a quick single

Three overs to go, and in this see-sawing game Kings XI need 36 more - their position thanks almost entirely to Pooran's hitting. And Umesh Yadav is back into the attack

END OF OVER:
17 | 11 Runs | PBKS: 167/3 (36 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 9.82, RRR: 12.00)

  • David Miller21 (21b)
  • Nicholas Pooran43 (23b)
  • Tim Southee3-0-33-0
  • Moeen Ali3-0-22-1
16.6
1
Southee to Miller, 1 run, slugged down to long on, and Miller keeps the strike
16.5
0
Southee to Miller, no run, slower one, on a length outside off, and Miller is beaten
16.4
1
Southee to Pooran, 1 run, struck on the grille! Southee digs it in short and beats Pooran's pull, the ball striking him flush on the grille. But he maintains his composure and completes the run
16.3
1
Southee to Miller, 1 run, slower ball from Southee, down to 115km/h, and Miller hands the strike back over to Pooran with a nudge to point
16.2
4
Southee to Miller, FOUR, into the leg side now, Miller stepping back to hammer a length delivery from Southee to deep midwicket. And his strike rate goes above a run a ball for the first time

Kings XI 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st42CH GayleKL Rahul
2nd59MA AgarwalKL Rahul
3rd4DA MillerKL Rahul
4th68DA MillerN Pooran
5th3Mandeep SinghN Pooran
6th6R AshwinMandeep Singh
7th0GC ViljoenMandeep Singh
8th3Mandeep SinghM Ashwin