IPL: Punjab Kings beat RCB by 54runs to keep play-off hopes alive

Punjab Kings rode on Jonny Bairstow (66 off 29 balls) and Liam Livingstone’s (70 off 42 balls) pyrotechnics to defeat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 54 runs here on Friday and keep their play-off hopes alive.
Invited to bat, Bairstow smashed four boundaries and seven sixes in his knock to start the Punjab Kings innings on an explosive note.
His compatriot Livingstone then hammered five fours and four maximums at the back end to take Punjab Kings to 209 for 9.
The Kings bowlers then rallied to limit RCB to 155 for nine to stay alive in the competition.
While Punjab remain in the mix with 12 points from as many games, the margin of victory considerably improved their net run-rate to +0.210 and RCB despite having 14 points from 13 games are at a -0.323.
RCB will have to win their final game and move to 16 points but also now need to have some rub of the green with a few favourable results going their way.
It was another day and another failure for Virat Kohli (20), who got a faint under-edge tickle on his gloves before it hit his thigh pad and bobbed up to short fine leg off a Kagiso Rabada (4-0-21-3) delivery.
Rishi Dhawan (4-0-36-2), perhaps the weakest link in Punjab attack, then made up for his lack of pace by hitting immaculate length as Faf du Plessis edged one to Jitesh Sharma behind stumps and Mahipal Lomror’s rasping pull shot was taken by Shikhar Dhawan.
Rajat Patidar (26) and Glenn Maxwell (35) did add 64 runs but they were never in the game with both departing in quick succession.
And when Dinesh Karthik (11) was snuffed out by the brilliant Arshdeep Singh (4-0-27-1) with a wide yorker and a catch by short third-man on the circle, RCB fizzled out in a jiffy.
Kagiso Rabada (3/21) snared three wickets, while Rahul Chahar (2/37) and Rishi Dhawan (2/36) accounted for two RCB batters each. For RCB, death over specialist Harshal Patel (4/34) and spinner Wanindu Hasaranga (2/15) were the top bowlers.
BRIEF SCORE:
Punjab Kings 209 for 9 in 20 overs (Liam Livingstone 70, Jonny Bairstow 66; Harshal Patel 4/34 ,Wanindu Hasaranga 2/15)
Royal Challengers Bangalore 155 for 9 in 20 overs (Glenn Maxwell 35, Rajat Pitidar 26; Kagiso Rabada 3/21)