Sharjah, April 17 (IANS) A fantastic partnership between Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh guided the Royal Challengers Bangalore to a convincing eight wicket win over the Delhi Daredevils in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here Thursday.
The Bangalore-based team reached their target of 146 with 3.2 overs to spare. Yuvraj with skipper Kohli struck an unbeaten 84-run third wicket partnership in only 7.5 overs to take their team home in an emphatic fashion.
Lately criticised by many for India's loss in the World Twenty20 final recently to Sri Lanka, Yuvraj found form in the opening clash to hit 52 not out in only 29 deliveries at a staggering strike rate of 179.31. The southpaw also hit five huge sixes and three fours all over the ground.
He was assisted well by Kohli, who hit the winning run, as he remained unbeaten on 49 off 38 balls, hitting three sixes and two fours.
At the start of their innings, Australian opener Nic Maddinson perished early in the second over for six runs but wicketkeeper-batsman and opener Parthiv Patel played a responsible knock of 37 off 29 deliveries before being bowled by leggie Rahul Sharma.
From 62/2 in the ninth over, it was a Kohli and Yuvraj show. Towards the end, the duo hurried towards the target hitting a flurry of sixes and the Daredevils bowlers had no reply to restrict them.
Earlier in the day, the Daredevils rose from an early fall to post a respectable 145/4. The Delhi-based team were in trouble after being put in to bat as they slumped to 35/4 by the start of the eighth over.
But a brilliant 110-run fifth-wicket partnership between South Africa's J.P. Duminy and New Zealander Ross Taylor first took the team out of trouble to help post a decent total.
Duminy slammed 67 not out off 48 deliveries, which included four boundaries and three sixes, while Taylor provided him good support with an unbeaten 43 off 38 balls, including four fours.
Daredevils openers Mayank Agarwal (6) and Murali Vijay (18) could not provide the start the team wanted while captain Dinesh Karthik got out on a first ball duck. Manoj Tiwary also perished for a measly 1.
Bangalore pacer Varun Aaron was the star bowler with figures of 3-1-9-1 while Yuzvendra Chahal provided him good support with 1/18 from his four overs.
Australia's Mitchell Starc and South Africa's Albie Morkel also clinched a wicket each.
Brief scores: Delhi Daredevils 145/4 in 20 overs (JP Duminy 67 not out, Ross Taylor 43 not out, Murali Vijay 18; Varun Aaron 1/9, Yuzvendra Chahal 1/18, Albie Morkel 1/18) lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore (Yuvraj Singh 52 not out, Virat Kohli 49 not out, Parthiv Patel 37; Mohammed Shami 1/30, Rahul Sharma 1/33).
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