Chris Gayle has left many an opposition in tatters and it was the turn of Chennai Super Kings on Sunday. The tall Jamaican hit an amazing half-century to help Royal Challengers Bangalore beat CSK by eight wickets at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Gayle, who’s been in brilliant form continued in the same vein on Sunday, as he slaughtered the Super Kings bowlers on his way to a 50-ball 75 not out.
Restricting CSK to a modest 128 for eight, RCB, walked home with 12-balls to spare. The win means RCB end the league stage on top of the table with 19 points and more importantly gives them an extra match more to reach the final in case they lose the first play-offs.
Gayle didn’t start at his usual breakneck speed taking, but there was no stopping him once he got going. He started his carnage with two sixes off pacer Doug Bollinger in the fourth over.
The lanky Jamaican struck six sixes and four fours during his 50-ball mayhem, taking his aggregate to 511 runs in only nine innings. He is now the proud owner of the Orange Cap surpassing Shaun Marsh who had aggregated 504 runs.
Virat Kohli gave Gayle good support sharing a second-wicket partnership of 80 in 9.2 overs. Kohli made 31 before departing off the bowling of Albie Morkel. With just 48 needed from the last 10 overs with nine wickets in hand, RCB made the remainder of the target without much fuss. Saurabh Tiwary remained unbeaten with 13 while posting 49-runs for the unbroken third wicket.
Gayle clubbed Suresh Raina for 11 runs off the last three balls of the 18th over to win the game with 12 balls to spare.
Earlier, sent in to bat, Chennai got off to the worst start possible losing their top four by the sixth over to be tottering at 22 for four.
Dhoni played a captain’s innings to restore some respectability taking the Super Kings to 128 for eight. Dhoni’s dazzling knock of 70 off 40 balls included six sixes and three boundaries, including 17 off the last over.
Zaheer Khan, back in the side along with skipper Daniel Vettori, finished with excellent figures of two for 19, Vettori himself took two for 14 and impressive left-arm medium-pacer Sreenath Arvind returned with two for 20 to ensure that the defending champions did not get away to a massive score.
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