A brilliant batting display by Ajinkya Rahane and Owais helped Rajasthan Royals post an imposing 195-2 and clinch their first away victory in the IPL V by defeating Royal Challengers Bangalore by 59 runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
According to a report in Mail Today, it was Ajinkya Rahane who stole the limelight after he smashed an unbeaten 103 off just 60 balls and along with Owais Shah who scored 60 off just 29 balls piled up a partnership of 121 in just 8.2 overs to post a total of 195 runs by losing just two wickets. Chasing the formidable target, Bangalore lost the plot soon and were bowled out for 136 in 19.5 overs. Siddharth Trivedi scalped four for 23, while Pankaj Singh (2/ 18) and Amit Singh (2/ 43) took two wickets apiece writes Mail Today.
Meanwhile Hindustan Times wrote that Rajasthan who were at one stage looking down the barrel with the scoreboard reading 83-1 from 13 overs were far from being on the course to post such a mammoth total. But the next over bowled by Sreenath Arvind, a fifth specialist bowler went for 24 runs and this changed the face of the match. All the runs in this over was minced by Rahane who before this over was playing at 42 raced to 72 within one over.
The Indian Express wrote that the Challengers loss last night was their third consecutive defeats and for a second match in the row it was their fifth bowler who was responsible for the defeat. If against Chennai Super Kings, Raju Bhatkal and Virat Kohli were clobbered for 71 runs in four overs, then yesterday it was Sreenath Aravind and Chris Gayle who went for 69 runs in their four overs.
A report in Hindu said that the floodgates opened for the Royals from the 14th over after Rahane smashed six fours of Sreenath Aravind’s over and then Shah scored 21 in the next over from Gayle. Rajasthan scored 113 off last seven overs of which 82 came in the last five overs.