Skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers struck fine half centuries and shared 82-run stand between them to help Royal Challengers Bangalore post 165 for six against Chennai Super Kings in their Pepsi Indian Premier League match, here today.
De Villiers blazed his way to a 32-ball 64, laced with eight fours and one six, while Kohli cashed on a dropped chance and caught-behind appeal to score 47-ball 58 as the visitors put up a sizeable total after invited to bat at the MA Chidambaram stadium.
Bangalore were on course to put up a total in excess of 180 on a batting friendly Chepauk track but pacer Chris Morris pegged them back with his twin strikes in the 17th over.
Morris finished with a figure of three for 40, which included the prized scalp of hard-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle and Kohli, while Dirk Nannes, Dwayne Bravo and R Ashwin also chipped in with a wicket each.
Kohli and de Villiers sent the CSK bowlers on a leather hunt as both scored at a brisk pace to enthrall the packed crowd with their dazzling strokeplay.
Both put on 82-run partnership for the third wicket in just 48 balls to lay the foundation for a strong total.
Even after the dismissal of Kohli, de Villiers was just unstoppable as he went about his business in style, hitting CSK bowlers at will.
The South African was dismissed on the last ball of the RCB innings after he was caught by deep extra cover by Bravo off Nannes.
Sent in to bat, Morris gave Chennai early breakthrough by getting danger-man Gayle (4) caught by MS Dhoni in the second over. Morris's good length got Gayle's edge before going straight into Dhoni's gloves.
Next man-in, Kohli combined well with opener Mayank Agarwal and put on a 45-run partnership for the second wicket to take the team's total past 50-run mark.
Agarwal struck few lovely hits to the fence, including a huge six off left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja over long-on, before departing for a 21-ball 24 in the ninth over bowled by R Ashwin.
