Hyderabad: Royal Challengers Bangalore were knocked out of Indian Premier league (IPl) with their nine-run loss to Deccan Chargers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here Sunday.
Deccan Chargers' second consecutive win at home also helped title holders Chennai Super Kings qualify for the play-offs as the fourth team. Both Super Kings and Royal Challengers finished with 17 points each but Chennai went ahead on the basis of their better run rate.
With the fourth win of the season, Chargers moved out of the bottom spot for the first time in the season and finished eighth ahead of Pune Warriors.
It was an all-round performance by Deccan Chargers in their last match of the season. Put in, a late charge by Jean Paul Duminy (74 off 53) helped Chargers reach a respectable total of 132 for seven in 20 overs.
Fiery bowling by Dale Steyn (3-8), key breakthroughs by Amit Mishra (2-26) and useful contribution by Ashish Reddy (3-25) helped the hosts restrict Royal Challengers to 123 for nine in 20 overs. Skipper Virat Kohli top scored with 42 while Saurabh Tiwary (30) and Chris Gayle (27) came up with valuable contributions but not enough to take them accross the line.
Earlier, a late charge Duminy (74 off 53) helped Chargers reach a respectable total, which at one time was looking unlikely. The South African's knock was studded with four boundaries and five sixes, providing some entertainment to the holiday crowd, which was otherwise disappointed by the poor show by top order of the home team.
Duminy was supported well by Parthiv Patel (16 off 21). They added 71 for the fifth wicket to revive the innings after Chargers were left struggling at 51 for four in the 12th over.
Deccan Chargers, who knocked out Rajasthan Royals in the last match, is trying to avoid finishing last on the table.
Shikhar Dhawan (5) fell cheaply and in a rather bizarre fashion in the very first over when a quick delivery from Zaheer Khan zipped between bat and pad. The bowler appealed for lBW but umpire Simon Taufel eclared him not out. Chris Gayle and other fielders then drew the umpire's attention towards the fallen bail. Dhawan was given out after TV replays showed the ball kissed the top of the bail.
Akshath Reddy, who had done well in the last game against Rajasthan Royals, did not last long as he edged out Vinay Kumar to be caught by AB De Villiers behind the stumps.
Cameron White, another leading run scorer this season, disappointed once again as he mistimed a shot off Parmeshwaran only to be held out by Mayank Agarwal at square leg.
Skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who returned to the side after resting himself in the last match, tried to rebuild the innings with Duminy but failed yet again. The Sri lankan, who had a dismal show with the bat this season, was caught by Vinay Kumar at long off while trying to loft Muttiah Muralitharan.
The next over by Muralitharan saw Duminy hitting him three sixes, two of them in successive deliveries. Trying to continue the aggression in the next over, Duminy mistimed the shot off Zaheer Khan and caught by substitute Appanna, who took a well-judged catch.
For Royal Challangers, Vinay Kumar was the most successful bowler, picking up three wickets for 22. Zaheer Khan claimed two for 30 while Prashant Parameswaran and Muttiah Muralitharan took a wicket each. (IANS)
