RCB defend successfully after de Villiers, Kohli fifties

22-Apr-2016AB de Villiers came out all guns blazing and smashed his third half-century of the tournament•BCCIVirat Kohli wasn’t at his most fluent, although Rising Pune Supergiants helped his cause as Ankit Sharma dropped him on 50•BCCIThe de Villiers-Kohli partnership recorded their third 100-plus stand. Such was their domination that at one point it prompted MS Dhoni to use his shoe to prevent a Kohli late cut from crossing him•BCCIDespite the relative scratchiness, Kohli hit seven fours and two sixes before holing out to deep midwicket for 80 off 63 balls•BCCIDe Villiers fell for 83 with two balls remaining in the innings, caught by an off-balance Ankit Sharma. RCB ended on 185 for 3•BCCIThisara Perera was in the thick of the action, taking all three wickets to fall to finish with 3 for 34•BCCIAn untimely injury to Kevin Pietersen compounded Supergiants’ woes after the early loss of Faf du Plessis•BCCIAjinkya Rahane held firm at his end to keep the fight alive•BCCIMS Dhoni played a quiet supporting act, and the duo added 91 for the third wicket•BCCIRahane swung wildly at a slider only to be stumped and give chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi his first IPL wicket. With MS Dhoni falling soon after, RCB inched closer•BCCIThisara Perera and Rajat Bhatia gave them a scare, though, by blasting 25 runs off a Harshal Patel over – the 18th of the chase•BCCIBut Shane Watson held his nerve in the 19th before Kane Richardson struck twice in the final over to restrict Supergiants to 172 for 8•AFP