Newly arrived Chris Gayle hammered an unbeaten 102 off just 55 balls to power the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a nine-wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
Gayle, who sparked controversy in midweek when he made himself unavailable for the West Indies home series against Pakistan, cracked seven sixes and 10 fours as Bangalore achieved a 172-run target with 11 balls to spare for their second win in six matches.
In Friday’s other match, Rohit Sharma smashed 87 and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh bagged 5-18, including three wickets in one over, as the Mumbai Indians beat the Chennai Super Kings by eight runs.
Photo: AFP
Chennai finished on 156-9 chasing a 165-run target despite impressive knocks from Subramaniam Badrinath (71 not out) and Australian Michael Hussey (41). Mumbai now top the table with four wins in five games.
Gayle put his team on course for victory with a 123-run stand for the opening wicket with Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan (38).
There was no stopping Gayle, who completed the victory and his century when he hit left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan through the covers for a four. Virat Kohli was the other notable contributor with an unbeaten 30.
Photo: AFP
Kolkata, who suffered their third defeat in six matches, earlier posted a competitive total thanks to skipper Gautam Gambhir (48), Yusuf Pathan (46) and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (40).
Kallis put on 44 off just 4.5 overs for the opening wicket with Australian Brad Haddin (18) and 58 for the second wicket with Gambhir, before Pathan stepped up the run-rate in the closing overs.
Sharma boosted the Mumbai innings after two wickets, including that of skipper Sachin Tendulkar (5), fell for 13 runs. He hit five sixes and eight fours in his 48-ball knock.
He added 61 for the third wicket with Ambati Rayudu (27) and 87 for the next with Australian Andrew Symonds (31 not out). He also held a superb diving catch to account for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (3).
Chennai were strongly placed at 98-2, before the West Indies’ Kieron Pollard took a brilliant diving catch at short mid-wicket to remove Hussey, who had added 60 for the third wicket with Badrinath.
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