Royals outclass Challengers for first away win

Bangalore, April 16 (IANS) Showing class and style, Rajasthan Royals (RR) humiliated a strong Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) late Sunday, registering their first home away win with 59 runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) T20 at the jam-packed Chinnaswamy stadium.

Chasing an imposing target of 196 on home turf, Challengers struggled all along to make 136. They were for all out in 19.5 overs, as its top and middle order collapsed to a magical spell of Siddharth Trivedi, Pankaj Singh and Amit Singh of the Royals. The trio claimed eight of the 10 wickets among them.

As Royals' most successful bowler, Trivedi claimed all the four wickets by clean bowling Virat Kohli (22), AB de Villiers (6), Saurabh Tiwary (17) and skipper Daniel Vettori (1). It was a record of sorts.

Barring opener Mayan Agarwal, who made a brisk 34 in 21 balls with three fours and three huge sixes, none of the RCB's batters showed any grit or determination to chase the target as they were choked by a superb bowling and tight fielding by the Royals.

Earlier, opting to bat after their captain Rahul Dravid won the toss, Royals hit 195 for the loss of just two wickets, with other opener Ajinkya Rahane scoring the tournament's first century and remaining not out at 103 of 60 balls. It included 12 magnificent fours and five mighty sixes.

Though Royals made a modest start by posting 60 runs in the first 10 overs, Owais Shah joined Rahane after Dravid (25) departed to hit seamers and spinners of RCB alike all over the ground to accelerate the score to 183 in eight overs, with a record 121-second wicket partnership.

Shah hit 60 in 26 balls with five fours and five sixes.

Barring Vettori and Zaheer Khan, who shared one wicket each, none of the other bowlers, including spin wizard Muthaiah Muralitharan could separate either Rahane or Shah from carrying on the assult.