Virat-Maxwell pip Gujarat Titans, keep RCB’s playoff hopes alive

Mumbai: With Damocles Sword hanging on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), diffident Virat Kohli rose to the occasion and helped the team race to an 8-wicket victory against Gujarat Titans to keep their IPL playoff hopes alive at Wankhede Stadium here on Thursday. The 100-plus stand for the first wicket between Kohli (73 off 54 balls with 8 boundaries and 4 sixes) and Faf du Plessis (44 off 38 with 5 boundaries) pulled the match in RCB’s favor. Glenn Maxwell then walked in and displayed his style of his own, smacking 40 off 18 balls. Earlier, GT posted a par score as captain Hardik Pandya’s unbeaten half century cemented the innings. The late flourish by Hardik and Rashid Khan (19 off six with 1 boundary and 2 sixes) did not help as RCB did fairly well on a track that was gripping a bit. With this win, RCB are placed in fourth position in points table, but eliminated Punjab Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. However, RCB cannot heave a sigh of relief. Mumbai Indians have to defeat Delhi Capitals, who are two points behind them with a superior NRR. Even if DC hogs a victory, RCB still can hope to qualify for playoffs if Rajasthan Royals lose to Chennai Super Kings with a big margin that their NRR falls below that of RCB. The thornless path for RCB is that the MI does them a favor by winning their last league match of the season. Chasing 169 runs target, Kohli raced to fifty in 33 balls, displaying his repertoire of drives, punches, snarls and gestures, when he is on song. RCB reached the 100 runs mark with the help of Kohli and Du Plessis stitching a century partnership for the second time in the season for the first wicket. They first had put up a 118 runs partnership against Punjab Kings. Rashid denied Du Plessis a half-century, but RCB were 115 for 1 in 14.2 overs and needed 54 more off 34 balls with Kohli in the middle and Maxwell to follow. Maxwell got a lifeline as the bails did not fall off though Rashid’s delivery hit the leg stump, and the Aussie made most of it as he took on Hardik in an 18-run over. Kohli exited but after he induced confidence in the RCB camp with this solid performance ahead of playoffs if the team qualifies. Earlier, Hardik took Gujarat Titans to 168/5 with his firepower innings as he cracked an unbeaten 62 runs in 47 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes to take his team to a fighting total. The late six-ball 19 blitz from Rashid Khan also played a crucial role in it.