As it happened

“The last few games I was taken for fours and sixes with the slower ball. Pace and bounce is my strength so I just backed that today.” MoM Umesh Yadav.

“The last week has been crazy. We thought we were down and out. Suddenly the table opened up. Now we just need two wins from two...I think Kings XI thought we’d be a little intimidated by their batting line-up...We knew that they would try and go for big runs because they didn’t have their mystery spinner. We just kept them in doubt.” - RCB skipper Virat Kohli.

“It wasn’t a professional effort at all. That’s been the story. It’s the bowlers who have got us the points. We’ve to try and make sure we lift ourselves.” - KXIP skipper R Ashwin.

RCB win by 10 wickets! The first victory of that margin this season.
After 8.1 overs, RCB 92/0.
Kohli finishes it off a boundary. That’s a comprehensive win for RCB. Outplayed Kings XI Punjab from the get go. They took an early advantage with the ball before their openers ruled out any jitters in the chase. With the win, the RCB has now notched up 10 points to remain in contention for a play-off berth. KXIP are still in fray on 12 points, but have slid in form with three defeats in a row.

After 7 overs, RCB 75/0 (Kohli 42*, Parthiv 34*).
Kohli moves into the 40s. Can he get to his half-century here? Well, that’s the only real question left to be answered. The result is already on the wall. RCB need another 10 runs to win off 78 balls.

After 6 overs, RCB 66/0.
Kohli, Parthiv making it look easy. The skipper gets a six and a boundary off Tye as KXIP bowlers go through the motions. It’s just a matter of time now. RCB need another 23 runs to win from 84 balls.

After 5 overs, RCB 54/0 (Parthiv 30*, Kohli 22*).
50 up for RCB! The boundaries keep coming. Parthiv and Kohli have more or less snuffed out any hope of a KXIP miracle. RCB need another 35 runs to win from 90 balls.

After 3 overs, RCB 36/0.
Kohli Dropped? Difficult chance. Kohli gets a leading edge off Rajpoot, Finch runs to his right from mid-off, stretches and gets his hand to it, but its just out of his reach. Second reprieve for the RCB skipper who had started the over with a six and two boundaries. Run-rate is a major factor in the race for the play-offs berth. RCB are quite aware of it and are going for the quick runs, they just need to be more careful.

After 2 overs, RCB 20/0.
Kohli survives a close run-out chance as Ashwin drills in a sharp throw. He misses the stumps, though. The RCB skipper would have had to depart if his opposite number had been on target. Parthiv releases the tension a bit with back to back deliveries soon after.

After 1 over, RCB 9/0.
Ashwin starts off the defence of 89. Kohli and Parthiv start off confidently, get singles off the first five deliveries before Parthiv strokes a boundary.

The signs were not all positive after Gayle was dropped in the first over. Thankfully, Umesh did not lose his touch as he attacked the batsmen with the short stuff. He got the ball to do just enough for the batsmen to struggle. He was well supported by Siraj, Chahal, De Grandhomme and Ali who all chipped in with a wicket. The visitors were sharp in the field as well, effecting three run-outs as a woeful KXIP side folded for a lowly 88. The batsmen were poor in their application. Their experimentation with the batting order once again failed.

KXIP all out for 88 in 15.1 overs. The second lowest total of this season.
WICKET! Rajpoot departs as RCB effect the third run-out of the innings. The batsmen try to convert a single into a double, but the batsman fails to ground his bat. The throw from Southee is accurate and Moeen completes a clean dismissal.

After 14 overs, KXIP 89/9.
WICKET! Nine down! Everything is going RCB’s way here. Another run-out. Mohit falls narrowly short as De Villiers drills in a quick throw after quick slide and pickup. Moeen helps it onto the stumps.
Mohit run out (de Villiers) 3 (5b).

After 13 overs, KXIP 80/8.
WICKET! Eight down! Umesh gets another wicket. Once again drills it in short. Tye takes a wild swing at it and gets an edge. Parthiv completes an easy catch behind the stumps. Umesh finishes with figures of 4-0-23-3.
Tye c Parthiv b Umesh 0 (3b).

After 12 overs, KXIP 78/7.
WICKET! Ashwin is run-out first ball! Disaster for Kings XI. He looks to get off the mark immediately, Axar sends him back, Ashwin though has taken one step to many and struggles to get back as Negi drills in a sharp throw, Parthiv collects it quickly and dislodges the bails well in time.
Ashwin run out (Negi]/Parthiv) 0 (1b).

WICKET! Finch holes out. The batsman looks to clear the boundary off Moeen. He doesn’t get the distance, though, and finds Kohli in the deep.
Finch c Kohli b Moeen 26 (23b, 4s: 1, 6s; 2).

After 11 overs, KXIP 70/5.
Kings XI’s hopes of a big total tied to Finch’s performance from here on. He’s batted quietly since coming on, but has settled down well and should start swinging his bat soon.

After 9 overs, KXIP 61/5.
WICKET! De Grandhomme pitches it on leg. Agarwal chases the delivery which is going down. He manages to get a slight nick and the catch is completed cleanly behind the stumps by Parthiv.
Agarwal c Parthiv b de Grandhomme 2 (6b).

After 7 overs, KXIP 50/4
WICKET! Stonis bowled by Chahal! KXIP four down! Chahal flights it, Stoinis doesn’t read the flight well and yorks himself. He gets the bat the down to dig it out, but misses it and is bowled.
Stoinis b Chahal 2 (3b).

After 6 overs, KXIP 47/3.
WICKET! Now Siraj gets into the act. Karun edges it to Kohli, who is standing at second slip. The bowler drills it in short and makes it bounce into the batsman’s body. Karun, though, can’t fend it off and nicks it.
Karun c Kohli b Siraj 1 (3b).

After 5 overs, KXIP 41/2.
WICKET! Umesh strikes again! Gayle holes out. It’s pitched short and wide outside off. The batsman, though, decided early on to target the leg side. He swipes at it but skies it and is caught at square leg.
Gayle c Siraj b Umesh 18 (14b, 4s; 4).

WICKET! Rahul falls. Umesh breaks the opening stand. Looks to hook it to the fence again, but hits it straight to square leg fielder. De Grandhomme completes an easy catch.
Rahul c de Grandhomme b Umes 21 (15b, 6s: 3).

After 4 overs, KXIP 28/0.
Gayle warms up with three boundaries off Southee. Gayle smashes Southee through the covers early in the over, before smashing for a four over midwicket. Caps off the over with a boundary as he clears mid-off.

After 3 overs, KXIP 14/0.
Another six from Rahul, this time off the fifth delivery of the over. He struggled through the first four balls with the ball beating the bat a couple of time. Hit the ball in the air off the final ball, but it landed just short of De Villiers who came charging in from mid-off.

After 2 overs, KXIP 7/0.
Rahul smashes the first six of the innings. Hoicks Southee over the square leg fence spoiling a fine over that had seen him fend off five dot balls. RCB have started well, but haven’t managed to get a wicket yet.

After 1 over, KXIP 1/0.
DROPPED! Parthiv drops Gayle off Umesh! Slightly short from the bowler. It’s pitched just outside off. Gayle attempts to defend it but gets an outside edge. Parthiv dives to his left to collect a low catch. Gets his glove to it, but can’t collect it.

Former India team-mates Ashish Nehra (left) and Yuvraj Singh catch up ahead of start of play. Photo: Sportzpics.

8.00pm: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle open the batting for KXIP. RCB skipper Virat Kohli hands Umesh Yadav the new ball.

Kohli on choosing to bowl first: “They (KXIP) are one bowler, one mystery bowler, short...KL (Rahul) has played well, Gayle has played well. Those guys will do the bulk of the scoring because they face more balls as well. We’re okay with that, having that responsibility.”

KXIP XI: Rahul (wk), Gayle, Karun, Agarwal, Finch, Stoinis, Axar, Ashwin (c), Tye, Mohit, Rajpoot.
RCB XI: Parthiv (wk), Moeen, Kohli (c), de Villiers, Mandeep, Sarfaraz, de Grandhomme, Southee, Umesh, Chahal, Siraj.

7.35pm: RCB to play with an unchanged side that beat Delhi Daredevils on Saturday. Stoinis replaces injured Mujeeb in the Kings XI Punjab playing XI. Rajpoot also replaces Sran.

Toss: RCB win the toss and choose to bowl first.

Trivia: Both KL Rahul and Virat Kohli average above 50 in the current season.

KXIP skipper R Ashwin has picked up just six wickets from 11 games so far this season. Photo: Sportzpics.

7.25pm: When these two teams met earlier this season, Royal Challengers got the better of Kings XI, winning by four wickets in Bengaluru.

Head-to-head

Matches: 21
Kings XI Punjab won: 12
Royal Challengers Bangalore won: 9

7.00pm: Royal Challengers Bangalore will be keen to expose the chinks in Kings XI Punjab’s armoury during their must-win Indian Premier League encounter on Monday.

RCB got some breathing space after their five-wicket victory against Delhi Daredevils while Kings XI Punjab, after a brilliant run at the initial stages, are currently struggling with back to back defeats.

Despite losses to Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders, KXIP are in the top half of the league with 12 points while RCB are still languishing at the second last place in the table.

However in IPL, strange things have happened at the business end of the tournament and RCB, under Virat Kohli, are likely to put a lot of pressure on the slipping KXIP.