Mushtaq A Subhani
BANGALORE: Rajasthan Royals outclassed Royal Challengers Bangalore by 59 runs after Ajinkya Rahane scored a brilliant hundred in the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
Chasing an improbable target of 196, Bangalore were bowled out for 136 in 19.5 overs.
Their main scorers were Mayank Agarwal (34) and Virat Kohli (22). Agarwal hit three sixes and as many fours in a brief innings of 21 balls.
Medium-pacer Siddharth Trivedi captured four wickets for 25 while Pankaj Singh and Amit Singh took two wickets each.
Earlier, winning the toss, Rajasthan captain Rahul Dravid decided to bat first and opened the innings with Ajinkya Rahane. Both provided a solid start making 62 runs before Dravid was out for 25.
Then Rahane, joined by Owais Shah, was involved in a bigger second wicket partnership of 121 runs in only 50 balls as both completed fifties.
Owais Shah made 60 off 26 balls with five fours and as many sixes but Rahane continued his onslaught till the final ball to become the first batsman to score a hundred in the tournament.
He remained not out on 103 which he made off just 60 balls hitting twelve fours and five sixes as Rajasthan reached 195 for two in the allotted 20 overs.
This match was televised live by Pakistan’s first sports tv channel Geo Super.