Tom Banton out for eight on IPL debut as Kolkata Knight Riders crumble to 112-9 against Royal Challengers Bangalore
Tuesday 13 October 2020 08:31, UK
AB de Villiers thumped six sixes in a blistering 73 not out from 33 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore ensured Tom Banton's IPL debut for Kolkata Knight Riders ended in a crushing 82-run defeat.
SCORECARD | IPL TABLE | LIVE CRICKET ON SKY
De Villiers nailed 65 of the 83 runs RCB plundered in their final five overs in Sharjah, with one of his maximums sailing out of the ground and into the street and another completing a 23-ball fifty.
The South African shared an unbroken century stand with captain Virat Kohli (33no off 28) for the third wicket, which took them to over 3,000 runs in partnership across all IPL seasons.
RCB's 194-2 proved way beyond Kolkata who could only muster 112-9 as they were thwarted by spinners Washington Sundar (2-20) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1-12) and seamers Chris Morris (2-17) and Navdeep Saini (1-17).
Banton was out for eight on his competition bow having replaced Sunil Narine in the XI - the latter reported for an alleged suspect bowling action - while England white-ball captain Eoin Morgan fell for the same score.
RCB remain third in the standings but are now level on 10 points with table-toppers Mumbai Indians and second-placed Dehli Capitals, while Kolkata are two points behind that group in fourth spot.
Kohli's men won at a canter in the end - but Monday's game was evenly poised after 15 overs with RCB 111-2.
Aaron Finch (47) - dropped by Kamlesh Nagarkoti on 19 - and Devdutt Padikkal (32) gave RCB a brisk start during an opening stand of 67, before Kolkata bowlers Nagarkoti and Varun Chakravarthy pegged their opponents back in the middle overs.
De Villiers took off from the 16th over onwards, though, creaming back-to-back sixes off seamer Nagarkoti in that over and then two maximums off Pat Cummins in the 17th.
The 36-year-old's fifth six, in Andre Russell's 18th over, sealed his third half-century of the campaign and the 36th of his IPL career, while he added one more maximum in Russell's 20th over.
De Villiers also pounded five fours in his pulsating knock but Kohli was limited to a solitary boundary - even that an edge down to third man - as he played second fiddle in the ton partnership.
England and Somerset star Banton, 21, then opened for Kolkata and looked nervous before he was bowled off an inside edge by RCB quick Navdeep Saini from the 12th delivery he faced.
Shubman Gill played neatly for KKR but, after being dropped on 31 by Finch at long-on, he was then run out for 34, with De Villiers whipping off the bails after Isuru Udana arrowed the ball in from cover-point.
Gill's dismissal came amid a run of four wickets for 13 runs and at 64-5 in the 12th there was no coming back for KKR, although Russell (16 off 10) did give them momentary excitement with three boundaries in a row.
Coverage of the Dream11 Indian Premier League continues on Tuesday with Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Chennai Super Kings live from 2.50pm on Sky Sports Cricket and 3pm on Sky Sports Main Event.
