IPL Results 2015: Scores and Schedule After Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Eliminator

Royal Challengers Bangalore kept their dreams of Indian Premier League glory alive, as they emphatically beat Rajasthan Royals by 71 runs in the tournament eliminator.  

AB de Villiers was the star of the show yet again for Bangalore, as the South African smashed a stunning 66 to help his side to 180 for four from their 20 overs. The loss of regular wickets halted any hopes of a Rajasthan win, and they eventually came up well short, collapsing to 109 all out.

The Royal Challengers will now face Chennai Super Kings on Friday to determine who will meet Mumbai Indians in the tournament final.

Read on for a recap of the action from Pune.

BATSMEN		RUNS	BALLS	SR	4S	6S
BOWLER	O	R	W	ECON	DOTS
Chris Gayle	b Dhawal Kulkarni	27	26	103.84	4	1
Virat Kohli	c & b Dhawal Kulkarni	12	18	66.66	0	0
AB de Villiers	run out (Stuart Binny)	66	38	173.68	4	4
Mandeep Singh	NOT OUT	54	34	158.82	7	2
Dinesh Karthik	c Ajinkya Rahane b Chris Morris	8	3	266.66	0	1
Sarfaraz Khan	NOT OUT	1	1	100.00	0	0
EXTRAS	(w 5, b 4, lb 3)	12
TOTAL	(4 wickets; 20 overs)	180
Chris Morris	4	42	1	10.50	10
James Faulkner	4	42	0	10.50	5
Dhawal Kulkarni	4	28	2	7.00	13
Shane Watson	4	32	0	8.00	8
Ankit Sharma	3	28	0	9.33	6
Stuart Binny	1	1	0	1.00	5

After winning the toss, Bangalore made the decision to bat first in this one. But even with stars like Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle opening things up, they struggled to inject any early impetus into their play against some savvy Rajasthan bowling.

Aijaz Rahi/Associated Press

Gayle was the first to fall after a stodgy 27 from 26 balls and just 1.3 overs later; the Bangalore captain was back in the dugout, too, having made just 12 from 18 deliveries. They were bittersweet dismissals for the Royals, as they brought De Villiers to the crease earlier, and alongside Mandeep Singh, the Royal Challengers got a firm grip of this match.

The pair put on 113 runs for the third wicket, and although Singh was magnificent in smashing an unbeaten 54 from 34 balls, De Villiers’ 66 from 38 stole the show. As noted by AltCricket, some of the South African’s shot-making was scarcely believable:

"

AB de Villiers is a different class. And probably a different species, too.

— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) May 20, 2015"

The Bangalore star hammered four sixes and four fours during his time at the crease, counter-attacking with distinction after losing key players. When De Villiers was eventually ran out in the penultimate over, the Royal Challengers were in excellent shape on 159 for three.

Saurabh Das/Associated Press

Singh took up the responsibility from there, and although AB hogged most of the spotlight, as noted by cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle, the Indian’s super effort was also vital in amassing a final total of 180 for four:

While the Royals do boast some outstanding batsmen, a target of 181 was always going to be very difficult to chase down. Their task got even tougher as they lost some vital wickets early on, too.

BATSMEN		RUNS	BALLS	SR	4S	6S
BOWLER	O	R	W	ECON	DOTS
Ajinkya Rahane	c AB de Villiers b Yuzvendra Chahal	42	39	107.69	4	0
Shane Watson	c Dinesh Karthik b Sreenath Aravind	10	5	200.00	2	0
Sanju Samson	c Dinesh Karthik b Harshal Patel	5	8	62.50	0	0
Steve Smith	c AB de Villiers b David Wiese	12	13	92.30	1	0
Karun Nair	c Dinesh Karthik b Harshal Patel	12	13	92.30	2	0
Deepak Hooda	c Mitchell Starc b David Wiese	11	14	78.57	0	0
James Faulkner	c & b Sreenath Aravind	4	4	100.00	1	0
Stuart Binny	run out (Yuzvendra Chahal)	0	1	0.00	0	0
Chris Morris	c Yuzvendra Chahal b Mitchell Starc	0	3	0.00	0	0
Ankit Sharma	NOT OUT	7	5	140.00	1	0
Dhawal Kulkarni	b Yuzvendra Chahal	3	9	33.33	0	0
EXTRAS	(w 3)	3
TOTAL	(All out; 19 overs)	109
Mitchell Starc	4	22	1	5.50	13
Sreenath Aravind	4	20	2	5.00	13
Harshal Patel	3	15	2	5.00	8
David Wiese	4	32	2	8.00	8
Yuzvendra Chahal	4	20	2	5.00	9

Shane Watson, who made a stunning century in his previous outing, was dismissed in the second over for just 10. In addition, the prodigious Sanju Samson (5), star skipper Steve Smith (12) and the dangerous Karun Nair (12) were all unable to capitalise on starts, leaving the Royals toiling on 79 for four in the 13th over.

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Credit must go to Bangalore’s bowlers, however. As noted by Freddie Wilde of ESPNcricinfo, while this team have been mainly reliant on virtuoso individual displays, under the pressure of this knockout match, they were turning in a multifaceted performance:

Ajinkya Rahane was still in though, and he was looking well set for a big score. But the regular loss of wickets saw the run rate soar, and the opener was dismissed for a diligent 42 after trying a slog sweep.

With the star man gone, so had Rajasthan’s chances. His dismissal prompted a staggering collapse in the Royals' batting lineup, as they went from 87 for five to 99 for nine in under three overs. They were eventually bowled out in the penultimate over for 109, handing Bangalore a 71-run triumph.

Here's the schedule for the competition's final two matches:

Date	Time (BST)	Fixture
May 22	3:30 p.m	Qualifier 2 - Chennai Super Kings vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore
May 24	3:30 p.m	Final - Mumbai Indians v TBC

Although there will be obvious and deserved elation from the Bangalore players after this confident win, the IPL’s unique format means they aren’t in the final yet. Indeed, their upcoming clash with Chennai on Friday is a massive encounter, and it's imperative they preserve their focus ahead of that fixture.

It’s the end of the line for Rajasthan. They’ve thrilled us at times during this campaign, especially through the effervescent play of Watson, Rahane and Smith. But inconsistency has crept into their game at the wrong moments yet again, and in this unforgiving tournament, that’s an undesirable trait which must be eradicated if they're to challenge next year.