RCB WIN BY 13 RUNS!!!

Pune 172-8 (20 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Richardson, who bowled an excellent first spell, comes back. He lofts the first ball over the cover fielder but Patel in the deep did well to keep it down to two.

The next ball is stroked through the same region and this time AB dives to his left at long-off to concede just two runs.

Richardson bowls a slow bouncer as Bhatia mishits the pull shot straight intot he hands of Watson at square leg as the right-hander falls after a quickfire 21 from 11 balls.

Murugan Ashwin lasts just one delivery as he chips it straight to AB de Villiers at long-off, who initially misjudges it before recovering in time, turning back in a flash to complete a good catch!

Richardson on a hat-trick but Ankit denies him the landmark as he hits the fifth ball over midwicket for two runs followed by a single.

RCB become the only team to defend a score twice in this year's IPL, infact they are the only side to defend a total as 14 out of 16 games have been won by teams batting second.

Courtesy of their second win in four games, RCB rise to third in the IPL standings, while Pune slip to seventh with just one win from four games.

Pune 165-6 (19 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Bhatia looks to swing Watson on the leg side and gets a top edge but wicketkeeper Rahul fails to take an easy high catch.

But two balls later, Watson strikes with the big wicket of Perera, who is caught in the covers after an entertaining innings of 34 from 13 balls.

He looked to swing it across the line but got a thick edge and was caught on the off-side.

Two balls later, Watson gets the wicket of Ravi Ashwin, who holes out to the fielder at deep midwicket.

A match-clinching over from Watson, claiming two wickets while conceding just four runs, leaving Pune with 21 to get from the final over for victory.

Pune 161-4 (18 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Patel to bowl his fourth and final over. Bhatia heaves the first ball over midwicket for a six and then cuts the next ball but straight to point and gets only a single, an inch or there would have got him a four.

Perera throws his bat at the next ball but gets a thick outside edge for a four. He swings the next ball to midwicket where Mandeep makes a diving effort for the catch but fails to get there and also concedes a four.

The next ball is a full toss as Perera hits it over the covers for a four, his third in a row as suddenly the game comes back to life.

He lofts the last ball straight back, over long-on for a six, to get 25 runs from the over.

Pune are right back in the contest, with 25 needed from the last two overs for victory.

Perera is playing a blinder, having smashed 34 from 12 balls, hitting three fours and three sixes, while Bhatia has made 13 from five balls.

Pune 136-4 (17 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Watson comes back, he has two more overs in hand. The first ball is short as Bhatia steers it over thirdman for a four before Perera pulls the third ball over square leg for a six as Pune refuse to give up.

The Sri Lankan left-hander slaps the fifth ball through midwicket for two runs before Watson bowls two wides in a row.

Watson goes for 15 runs in the 17th over with Pune needing another 50 from the last three overs for victory.

Pune 121-4 (16 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Medium pacer Patel comes back, he still has two overs in hand. He manages to keep both Dhoni and Perera quiet, not giving the boundary balls, bowling it either full or short.

He bowls a wide yorker as Dhoni looks to loft it straight but is brilliantly caught by AB de Villiers at long-off inches inside the ropes as he does well to hold on and also maintain his balance.

Pune's hopes are as good as over with 65 needed from four overs for victory with the asking rate climbing above the 16 runs per over mark.

Pune 115-3 (15 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Watson is back for his second spell. Rahane gets two runs from the first ball through the off-side followed by two singles before the Pune opener hits a full toss through the leg side for a four.

Dhoni keeping the scoreboard moving with ones and twos as he struggles to find the boundaries.

Abdulla is keeping things in control giving eight in his third over, for a total of 22 runs in three overs.

Pune get past the 100-run mark in the 14th over but they face a stiff task, with another 84 needed from six overs for victory at an asking rate of 14.

Shamsi comes back to bowl his fourth and final over. Dhoni looking to change gears as he smashes a short ball through the covers for a four before driving the next square for two runs.

Shamsi gets his first wicket in IPL as Rahane comes down the track and has a wild swing but is beaten and stumped after a good innings of 60 from 46 balls. He put on 91 runs from 73 balls for the third wicket with Dhoni to rally Pune after a horror start.

Thisara Perera survives a huge shout for LBW off the very first delivery and he clubs the next ball over midwicket for a huge six.

A good debut for Shamshi as he finishes with one for 36 in four overs.

Pune are 115 for three in 15 overs, needing another 71 runs from five overs for victory.

Pune 86-2 (12 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Three singles from the first three balls before Rahane sweeps Shamsi on the leg side as Sarfaraz at short fine leg is unable to stop it but just seven runs come from the over.

The next over from Abdulla also goes to script for RCB as he concedes just six singles.

Meanwhile, Rahane brings up his half-century from 37 balls, having hit seven fours in total.

RCB won't mind Pune's batsmen taking it easy in the middle overs as the asking rate grows to over 12, with 100 needed from 48 balls.

Pune 73-2 (10 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Dhoni turns Shamsi through the leg side and sprints back for two runs before he takes one.

Rahane plays a powerful sweep for a four before Dhoni glances the last ball fine on the leg side for another boundary as Pune get 12 from that over as they start to get some momentum in their innings.

Left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla comes into the attack. Dhoni and Rahane milk him for eight runs in his first over to keep the scoreboard moving in the middle overs.

At the halfway stage, Pune have recovered to 73 for two in 10 overs, with another 113 needed from 60 balls for victory.

Rahane has stroked 43 from 31 balls, while Dhoni has made up after a slow start to hit 21 from 22 balls.

Pune 53-2 (8 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Shane Watson comes into the attack. He makes a tidy start, conceding just four singles as Dhoni struggles to get his timing on a wicket where the ball is not coming on to the bat.

Debutant Tabraiz Shamsi, left-arm chinaman bowler comes into the attack. Rahane turns the first ball to midwicket for one and Dhoni does the same. Shamsi bowling from over the wicket and looking to keep it on the stumps and not give the batsmen anything to work with.

Rahane again turns the ball on the leg side for one before Dhoni comes down the track but is forced to defend.

A good start to the IPL from the South African spinner as just five runs come from his first over.

Binny comes back into the attack. Two singles from the first two balls before Rahane gets an inside edge past the wicketkeeper for a four.

However, he is total control as he plays a delicate late cut off the last ball for the second four of the over.

Binny goes for 12 in his second over with Pune going past the 50-run mark, in the eighth over.

Pune 32-2 (5 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Rahane looking in good touch as he flays another wide delivery, this time from Richardson, through the off-side for a four to bring some cheer back to the home fans.

In the same over, Dhoni survives a huge shout for leg before wicket as he looked to flick it across the line but was beaten.

Dhoni gets off the mark from the sixth ball he faces as he punches Harshal down the ground past mid-off for a four. A wide coupled with four more singles as nine come from the over with Pune reaching 32 for two in five overs.

Pune 18-2 (3 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Harshal Patel comes into the attack in place of Binny. Steven Smith flicks the second ball through the leg side for a four before he is dismissed soon after. He was rapped on the pads as he sets off for a quick bye but is sent back as Kohli gets a direct hit from point to catch the Australian captain short of his crease. Infact, Smith slipped slightly as he turned back after he had turned and that proved quite crucial.

Smith is run out for four as Pune are reeling on 18 for two, in the third over.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni carefully plays out the last three balls of the over.

Pune 12-1 (2 ovs) vs RCB 185-3 | SCORECARD

Medium pacer Stuart Binny to open the bowling for RCB. Ajinkya Rahane wastes no time in getting going as he drives the second ball through the covers for a four to get his team off the mark in some style.

Two balls later, he punches it down the ground for another boundary followed by a single.

Faf du Plessis drives the last ball past point for two runs as Binny goes for 11 runs in his first over.

Kane Richardson strikes in his very first over with the wicket of du Plessis, who hits it straight into the hands of the fielder at mid-off to fall for two.

New batsman Kevin Pietersen turns the first ball on the leg side but immediately goes down in pain. He seems to have sustained a calf injury and has to hobble off the field and is helped by the RCB players.

A double blow for Pune, losing du Plessis early while KP looks as good as gone.

A superb start from Richardson, giving away just a single while picking up a wicket in his first over.

RCB 185-3 (20 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Ishant to bowl the 19th over, he has struggled to keep the runs in ODIs and T20s for India at the international level.

He starts with a wide followed by a dot ball to Kohli. The RCB captain then paddles the next ball over short fine leg for a four before he smashes the next over the off-side for another boundary.

Kohli then picks one before AB has a wild swing but fails to make connection, the only fourth dot ball for the South African out of a total of 44.

He makes up for that blip as he whacks the last ball over square leg for a six as Ishant ends up giving away 16 runs in his final over to finish with expensive figures of 47 runs in four overs.

Medium pacer Perera to bowl the final over. It is flowing boundaries at the moment as Kohli slaps the first ball square on the off-side for a four to bring up the 150-run stand for the second wicket.

He looks to bowl the next one away from Kohli but ends up bowling a wide on the off-side.

Kohli walks a long way across to the second ball and sweeps the low full toss behind square on the leg side for a four, he has smashed 27 runs from his last 10 balls.

However, he ends up hitting the third ball straight into the hands of the fielder at deep midwicket.

Kohli walks back after a good innings of 80 from 63 balls, having hit seven fours and two sixes, after he had put a huge partnership of 155 runs from 95 balls for the second wicket.

Perera makes it two in two as AB mishits it on the off-side and is caught by Ankit, who manages to hold on this time around.

AB has gone back after a smashing knock of 83 from 46 balls, which was laced with six fours and four sixes.

Shane Watson gets one from the fifth ball before Sarfaraz Khan gets two runs from the last ball.

RCB finish on a huge 185 for three in their 20 overs, having smashed 57 runs in the last five overs for the loss of two wickets.

Perera was Pune's best bowler, taking three for 34 in his four overs and was the only wicket-taker for the hosts.

Ravi Ashwin didn't complete his quota despite bowling well as he got just three overs and so did Bhatia.

RCB will fancy their chances of defending this total, having got past the 180-run mark, but Pune have a strong batting line-up and are capable of getting the runs if their top order gets going.

RCB 157-1 (18 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Bhatia comes back into the attack. De Villiers smashes the first ball down the ground and once again Smith makes a good diving stop on the ropes to keep it down to two.

Both AB and Kohli try hard to get the big hits but Bhatia's clever change of pace means they can only get the ones and twos to get just seven from the over.

Perera to bowl the 18th over. The first ball is a good yorker which AB can't only dig out on the leg side for one. Kohli breaks the shackles as he heaves the second ball over midwicket for a six before taking one.

AB attempts the reverse sweep but can't beat the fielder at short thirdman for just one before Perera bowls a wide.

Kohli throws his bat at the next ball and gets it over the covers with much of a timing for two runs before he gets one from the last ball as 13 runs come from the 18th over.

RCB 137-1 (16 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Ashwin is unlucky not to get the wicket of Kohli, who charges down the track but is beaten by the quicker delivery down the leg side, however, keeper Dhoni can't collect it and gives away five wides.

Kohli has not been able to get any sort of momentum. He looks to reverse sweep Ashwin but can't beat the fielder at point before he looks to sweep but is beaten and the huge appeal for LBW is turned down.

Kohli, on 50, attempts a big hit down the ground but skies it on the off-side where Ankit at mid-off puts down a simple chance.

Except for the wide which cost him five runs, it is another excellent over from Ashwin as he conceded just nine runs.

RCB are 137 for one in 16 overs, with AB on 70 from 37 balls and Kohli on 51 from 50 balls. They are on course to get a total of around the 180-run mark, which should prove to be a difficult one to chase.

RCB 128-1 (15 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Left-arm spinner Ankit comes back and he makes up for two poor overs with a tight third over, giving away just five singles.

RCB have targetted the inexperienced Murugan Ashwin. AB reverse sweeps the second ball past point for a four and plays the conventional sweeps off the next ball for another four behind square on the leg side.

Kohli doing well to play the singles and provide as much strike as possible to AB, who has cut loose in the last few overs.

M Ashwin gives 11 runs in his second over for a total of 29 runs in his two overs.

While AB has gone at a strike rate of more than 200 to blast 64 from 31 balls, but Kohli is much slower at 48 from 44 balls.

Kohli completes his fifty from 47 balls with a single off Ankit on the leg side. Ankit bowls another tidy over, giving away six runs, as RCB reach 128 for one in 15 overs.

RCB 106-1 (12 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

AB continues his positive approach as he crashes Bhatia through the covers for a four. He gets two runs from the fifth ball through the off-side for two runs to bring up the 50-run stand between the two RCB batsmen, for the third time in four games.

10 runs from the 10th over as RCB reach 79 for one at the halfway stage.

Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin comes into the attack. AB brings out the sweep once again for a six over square leg as RCB make good progress in the middle overs.

In the same over, Kohli slaps it through the covers and looks set to get a boundary but Steven Smith running to his left at long-on pulls off an astonishing save to keep it down to two.

AB ends the over in the same style as he started it, with a huge six, pulling it a long way over long-on.

A horror start for Ashwin as he hit for 18 runs in his first over, forcing Dhoni to bring back his premier spinner Ravi Ashwin from the other end.

Five easy singles from the first five balls before AB smashes the last ball through the off-side for a four to race to his half-century in some style, from just 25 balls.

RCB 69-1 (9 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Medium pacer Rajat Bhatia comes into the attack in place of Ankit. The veteran medium pacer mixing it up quite well with his clever change of pace, conceding just five singles in his first over as RCB cross the 50-run mark, in the seventh over.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who has had a quiet start to the tournament with just one wicket in three matches, comes into the attack.

Three singles from the first four balls before Dhoni once again sticks his leg out like a goalkeeper to stop the late cut from Kohli. He does well to anticipate the shot and sticks out his right leg just in time, he did that in one of the earlier games.

A single from the last ball as just four runs come from the over. RCB are content to play it safe at the end of the Powerplay.

Ankit comes back as he starts with a wide down the leg side before Kohli slaps it wide of long-on for two runs.

Once again it looks set to be a tight over before AB breaks the shackles as he sweeps it uppishly over square leg for a six to get 12 from the over.

RCB are 69 for one in nine overs with AB on 24 from 14 balls and Kohli on 35 from 31 balls.

RCB 48-1 (6 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Spin introduced early as left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma comes into the attack ahead of the two Ashwins.

Two singles from the first two balls before AB slaps the third ball through the covers for his first boundary and then takes one. Kohli keeps strike with a single from the last ball as eight runs come from the over.

Ishant oversteps but Kohli can't make most of the free hit as the pacer bowls a good yorker. But the next ball is short and AB pulls it through midwicket for a four and Kohli chips down the track to the last ball and smashes it through point for another four.

Ishant has gone for 11 runs in that over for a total of 31 runs in three over as RCB rally to 48 for one in six overs.

RCB 29-1 (4 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Ishant struggling with his line. He starts his second over with a full delivery on the pads which Kohli flicks over fine leg for a six. The next ball is again on the leg stump as Kohli his time hits it through midwicket for a four. He gets an overthrow off the next ball as Rahane at point hits the stumps when there was no need to.

Ishant's extra pace hurries Rahul into the pull shot who nearly holes out to KP at midwicket but it falls just short. Rahul sees off the next two balls as 11 come from the over.

Perera, who bowled a good first over, continues. The first ball is short and wide as Kohli punches it through the off-side for a four before taking one from the next.

Another dot ball for Rahul before the frustration gets the better of the youngster. He has a wild swing but gets a thick outside edge and is caught on the thirdman fence for seven.

A single each to both Kohli and AB de Villiers as RCB reach 29 for one in four overs.

RCB 11-0 (2 ovs) vs Pune | SCORECARD

Ishant Sharma to open the bowling for hosts Pune, while the young KL Rahul walks out to open the batting with his captain Virat Kohli.

Ishant starts with a leg side wide to Kohli before the right-hander takes one to get off the mark on the leg side.

The third ball is again on the pads as Rahul flicks it fine for a four to get off the mark in style. Three singles from the last three balls as RCB get nine from the first over.

Medium pacer Thisara Perera to bowl the second over. He bowls a tidy over, giving away just two singles as RCB reach 11 for no loss in two overs.

Pune have made one change with medium pacer Rajat Bhatia replacing pacer Irfan Pathan.

Meanwhile, RCB have straightaway drafted in newcomer South Africa's chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi in place of Travis Head. Shamsi joined the squad as a replacement for Samuel Badree, who was ruled out of this year's IPL with injury. Read more about Tabraiz Shamsi here.

In another change, Mandeep Singh comes in for pacer Varun Aaron.

Pune captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has won the toss and no surprise that he has elected to bowl.

Interestingly, the toss has proved to be crucial in IPL 9. Infact, 14 out of the 15 matches contested in this year's IPL so far, have been won by teams batting second.

Kohli's poor run with the toss continues, having lost four tosses in a row.

Welcome to the coverage of the 16th match of the Indian Premier League between Rising Pune Supergiants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Pune, on Friday.

After impressive starts, both Pune and Royal Challengers Bangalore have faltered in their last two games and the two sides would be looking to outwit each other in a bid to return to winning ways.

With one win and two defeats, both the teams have identical two points each but the Pune outfit is a place above Royal Challengers Bangalore in the standings at fifth position by virtue of a better net run rate.

Debutants Pune, led by the talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni, defeated defending champions Mumbai Indians in their tournament opener before losing to another new outfit Gujarat Lions and Kings XI Punjab.

Star-studded Royal Challengers Bangalore, on the other hand, beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening match before their campaign went haywire following losses to Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians on Wednesday night.

For Pune captain Dhoni, the biggest task would be get his team composition right.

Dhoni is a leader who persists with a set of players but he is yet to strike that balance in Pune. Dhoni has to ponder over both the batting and bowling departments of his team.

Pune's batting unit consists of some big names in Ajinkya Rahane, Kevin Pietersen, Steven Smith and Dhoni, but barring Faf du Plessis no other batsman has managed to set the stage on fire so far in the tournament.

Dhoni tried Sri Lankan Thissara Perera in the last match in place of Mitchell Marsh but with no result.

But more than the batting, it is the indifferent performance of his bowlers which would be worrying Dhoni.

Pace spearhead Ishant Sharma has been lacking consistency while Dhoni's one-time trusted lieutenant RP Singh made way for Irfan Pathan in the previous game without much result.

On the pace front, Dhoni hardly has any options left in his hands as Indian fast bowler Ishwar Pandey has also not been an IPL regular although he can generate a bit of bounce and swing.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has not been at his best in the shortest format in the last few months but his statemate Murugan Ashwin has done decently in his debut season.

Just like Pune, Royal Challengers Bangalore's strength lies in batting unit. With the likes of explosive Chris Gayle, captain Virat Kohli, A B de Villiers, Shane Watson and fearless Mumbai-based youngster Sarfaraz Khan in their ranks, the Bangalore outfit can tear apart any bowling unit on their given day.

However, Royal Challengers Bangalore is expected to miss Gayle for the second match on the trot as the Jamaican has flown back home following the birth of his first child.

But Royal Challengers Bangalore's troubles lie mainly in their bowling attack in which Watson has been the lone stand-out performer.