Dinesh Karthik smashed 44 not out off 23 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore snatched a four-wicket victory against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League. Karthik added 67 runs off 32 balls with Shahbaz Ahmed as Bangalore finished with 173-6, chasing Rajasthan’s 169-3. Jos Buttler scored 70 off 47 balls for the losing side. (Image: IPL)
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Put in to bat, Rajasthan lost opener Yashasvi Jaiswal early for 4 on a slow Wankhede wicket as the batting side made slow progress. (Image: IPL)
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Buttler and Devdutt Padikkal added 70 runs off 49 balls for the second wicket. The Englishman held anchor at first as scoring was tough. But in the second half of the Rajasthan innings, he accelerated hitting six boundaries – all sixes. He made good use of two dropped catches in his knock. (Image: IPL)
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Padikkal departed in the 10th over as the score read 76-2. Skipper Sanju Samson was out for 8, returning a simple catch to Wanindu Hasaranga. (Image: IPL)
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Rajasthan was 86-3 at that stage and was staring at an under-par total. But Buttler and Shimron Hetmyer added 83 runs off the last 50 balls. The last two overs of Rajasthan’s innings alone produced 42 runs as Buttler-Hetmyer teed off. The West Indian finished with 42 not out off 31 balls with four fours and two sixes. (Image: IPL)
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In reply, Bangalore made a quick-fire start. Faf du Plessis and Anuj Rawat put on 55 runs off 42 balls for the first wicket. (Image: IPL)
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Yuzvendra Chahal then took centre-stage as he first had du Plessis out caught and then bowled David Willey for a two-ball duck. (Image: IPL)
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In between, he also helped effect a sharp run-out of Virat Kohli as Bangalore lost four wickets for seven runs and was placed at 62-4 in the ninth over. (Image: IPL)
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Trent Boult made it 87-5 by dismissing Sherfane Rutherford. (Image: IPL)
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It brought Ahmed and Karthik together, and they took Bangalore past the finish in an improbable fashion. Karthik took 16 runs off Ravichandran Ashwin’s 14th over and turned the tide. Overall he hit seven fours and a six, while Ahmed also hit four fours and three sixes. (Image: IPL)
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Their 50-partnership came off 22 balls. Ahmed scored 45 off 26 balls and fell to Boult in the 18th over, but Karthik nearly finished the match with 12 runs off the penultimate over. (Image: IPL)
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It was Rajasthan’s first loss in three games this season. Bangalore recorded its second consecutive win in three games. (Image: IPL)
