IPL Results 2016: Scores, Schedule After Gujarat vs. Bangalore Qualifier 1
A stunning, unbeaten 79 from 47 balls from AB de Villiers propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore to the Indian Premier League final on Tuesday, as they beat Gujarat Lions by four wickets.
A brilliant 73 from Dwayne Smith salvaged a poor batting card for Gujarat, as they were all out for 158 off their 20 overs. In response, Bangalore lost in-form captain Virat Kohli for a duck, as Dhawal Kulkarni was too hot to handle with the ball up front. But De Villiers produced one of the finest knocks in IPL history to push his team over the line with 10 balls to spare.
The Lions have another chance to qualify, as they’ll drop into the second qualifier. There they’ll face the winner of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders, who square off on Wednesday.
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Here’s a recap of a pulsating first playoff and a look at the remaining competition schedule.
| Wednesday, May 25 | 3:30 p.m. | Hyderabad Sunrises vs. Kolkata Knight Riders | Eliminator |
| Friday, May 27 | 3:30 p.m. | Eliminator Winner vs. Gujarat Lions | Qualifier 2 |
| Sunday, May 29 | 3:30 p.m. | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Qualifier 2 Winner | Final |
Gujarat Lions vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore
Bangalore, 159 for six (De Villiers 79*, Kulkarni four for 14) beat Gujarat, 158 (Smith 73, Watson four for 29) by four wickets.
In this shorter format of the game, often one innings can be enough to propel a team to a decent total. That’s exactly what happened to Gujarat, as they were put in to bat and placed under immediate pressure by the Bangalore bowlers.
Inside four overs they were three wickets down for nine runs, with Brendon McCullum (one), Aaron Finch (four) and Suresh Raina (one) back in the dugout. Iqbal Abdulla and Shane Watson were rampant with the ball, and the Lions needed a response; it eventually came courtesy of a 85-run partnership between Dinesh Karthik and Smith.
The former dug in, while the latter counter-attacked spectacularly, even as Karthik fell for a determined 26. As noted by HoldingWilleyCricket, the West Indies star was a man on his own:
"Dwayne Smith is a one-man army tonight. Wish he had more support. #GLvRCB #IPL
— HoldingWilleyCricket (@holdingwilley) May 24, 2016"
Indeed, supplementary efforts were scarce as Smith raced to 73 from 41 balls, hammering five fours and six sixes during his time at the crease.
After he fell, Eklavya Dwivedi blasted 19 from nine balls to keep the run-rate high, before Kulkarni made 10 from four. Eventually losing their final wicket on the final ball of the innings, the Lions stumbled to a total of 158.
Credit must go to the bowling effort from the Challengers, with Watson extremely effective with four for 29. Commentator Ayaz Memon hailed the efforts of Smith and the Australian:
It was a mediocre total made to look outstanding by the start made by the star-studded Bangalore batting lineup, as they capitulated in the nascent stages of the chase.
Kohli, who has been in such sparkling form, fell for a duck in the second over, and his dismissal triggered a catastrophic collapse. Chris Gayle (nine), Lokesh Rahul (zero), Watson (one) and Sachin Baby (zero) were all on their way back inside six overs, with Bangalore’s chances dangling by a thread at 29 for five.
It was Kulkarni doing the damage, taking four of those five wickets to fall early on. As noted by The Cricket Prof., the fast bowler, who finished with figures of four for 14, was getting a lot more out of the pitch than the opposition bowlers:
As he wound up his spell, the one concern for the Lions was that De Villiers was still in and looked to be in good touch. Still, losing Stuart Binny, who offered some resistance with 21, was another big blow.
The South African star continued his assault, though, racing to his half-century from just 33 balls and putting his team in a position where just 49 were needed to win from the last five overs. And he continued to dispense of the bowling to all parts of the stadium, swinging the match back in favour of the Royal Challengers when it looked unretrievable.
AltCricket was enjoying yet another masterful knock from De Villiers:
"Humans are not capable of the shots that AB de Villiers is playing.
— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) May 24, 2016"
His invention and clean striking were bringing the runs required down rapidly, with Abdulla playing a fine supporting role. The asking rate dropping below a run-a-ball in the 18th over, and eventually they completed the chase in the 19th, sending the Bangalore crowd wild and prompting a pitch invasion from the players.
Winning this match is a huge boost to Bangalore's chances of overall glory. Not only is their spot secured in the grand final, but at the end of six weeks of intense cricket, an extra rest day can be so important. Kohli and his team can watch the next two matches contented, recuperating and knowing their job is done.
Gujarat need to rally themselves after this defeat, especially with a difficult challenge to come against Hyderabad or the Knight Riders. A win there would give everyone in the squad a much-needed momentum boost following this tough loss and renew their hope with another clash against the Royal Challengers to come.
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