AB de Villiers slammed an unbeaten half-century to power Royal Challengers Bangalore victory against Kings XI Punjab in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.

De Villiers smashed a quickfire 82 from 44 balls to power RCB to a huge 202 for four in their 20 overs after they were put into bat.

In reply, Punjab started off brightly courtesy of KL Rahul (42) and Mayank Agarwal (35 from 21 balls) after Chris Gayle had perished early.

But the duo perished in successive overs as RCB slipped to 105 for three in the 11th over.

Nicholas Pooran then took centrestage with a flurry of sixes as he slammed 46 from 28 balls but Umesh Yadav bowled a good spell at the end to take RCB to victory.

Umesh to bowl the final over. Remember what happened when he was defending 26 in the final over against Dhoni.

In a reminder of that horror for RCB and their fans, Punjab captain Ashwin lofts the first ball down the ground for a six.

He attempts the same shot next ball but this he fails to clear the boundary and is caught by Kohli at long-on.

Umesh strikes again next ball, this time with the wicket of Hardus Viljoen, who looks to pull a short ball but gets the glove and is caught down the leg side.

Murugan Ashwin avoids the hat-trick but gets a lifeline next ball as he lofts it straight to Kohli at long-on, who puts down the catch.

Umesh, who suffered at the end in the previous game, comes back. He does well to concede just three singles from the first balls before Pooran looks to break free and ends up skying it high on the leg side.

Stoinis has lots of time to set himself under the catch but ends up dropping the simple offering, to give Pooran (44 from 24 balls) the lifeline.

Umesh then bowls a wide before Miller survives the run out chance as he strokes it to cover and sets off for a quick run.

Umesh beats Pooran with the final delivery as he sends down the slower ball.

Just six runs from the over as Punjab now need 30 from two overs for victory.

Saini to bowl the 19th over. He strikes first ball with the wicket of Miller, who lofts it down the ground and de Villiers takes a good sharp catch at long-on.

Miller walks back after a sedate innings of 24 from 25 balls.

New batsman Mandeep Singh attempts the paddle scoop first ball but is beaten before Saini concedes just singles off the next three balls.

Saini is rewarded for his fine bowling with the wicket of Pooran, who attempts the big hit but is caught at long-on by de Villiers after a cracking innings of 46 from 28 balls.

Pooran putting on a show with the bat. Moeen, who bowled two quiet overs, comes under attack at the hands of the left-hander.

A flighted delivery is lofted straight back over the bowler's head for a six before he whips the fifth ball over midwicket for another six to raise the 50-run stand for the fourth wicket from just 34 balls.

Now Miller joins the party as he gets an edge off Southee for a boundary through the vacant thirdman region.

The next ball is on the stumps as Miller clips it over midwicket for another four before he takes one.

Pooran is then hit on the helmet by a quick bouncer from Southee as he fails to connect with the pull.

11 from the over as Punjab continue their charge to reach 167 for three in 17 overs, needing another 36 from 3 overs for victory.

Off-spinner Washington Sundar comes into the attack. He makes a tidy start, giving away just two singles in his first over as the two left-handers -- Pooran and Miller -- look to get the innings back on track.

Moeen also does a good job, giving away just six singles in his second over as RCB look to build the pressure with some tight overs.

Pooran then breaks the shackles as he takes Sundar to the cleaners. He slams the first ball over long-off for a six before hitting the next ball in the same region for another six.

Two balls later, he lofts the ball again over long-off for the third six of the over and then takes a single to get 19 from the over as Punjab make their way back.

Saini comes back into the attack. Pooran continues his attack as he smashes a wide delivery from the pacer over the cover region for a six, before he slams the next through the same area for a four.

Pooran then mishits the pull shot beaten for pace as he takes one and Miller steers the next past point for two runs before taking a single.

Punjab are on course on 143 for three in 15 overs, needing 60 from 30 balls for victory.

Pooran has smashed his way to 30 from 18 balls, while Miller is playing second fiddle on 10 from 14 balls.

Stoinis makes the breakthrough at a crucial juncture with the wicket of Agarwal, who played a breezy innings of 35 from 21 balls.

The right-hander goes for the pull but gets hit high on the bat as Chahal takes an easy catch at midwicket.

Agarwal and Rahul put on 59 runs from 35 balls for the second wicket as they threatened to take the game way from RCB.

David Miller gets off the mark with a single and Rahul nearly loses his wicket attempting a tight run to midwicket and is lucky the fielder missed the direct hit.

Punjab are still in the hunt as they reach 105 for two in 10 overs, needing another 98 from the remaining 10 overs for victory.

Off-spinner Moeen Ali comes into the attack. He strikes first ball with the key wicket of Rahul, who holes out a simple catch to the fielder at long-off to make his way back after scoring 42 from 27 balls.

Nicholas Pooran gets off the mark with a single and Miller takes one followed by two more singles.

Two wickets in the last two overs as Punjab are reduced to 108 for three in 11 overs.

Saini comes back into the attack. Agarwal is beaten first ball before he drills the next through the covers for a four followed bye one.

Rahul then gets the outside edge but it goes wide of the wicketkeeper for a four before he plays out the last two balls.

Medium pacer Marcus Stoinis comes into the attack. Two singles from the first two balls before Agarwal pulls the fourth ball through square leg for a four followed by a single.

Chahal comes back into the attack. Two singles from the first two balls before Agarwal slams the third straight down the ground as he clears long-on for a six.

Agarwal then clips the next through the vacant midwicket region for two runs before hitting the fifth ball for a four through the same region and keeps strike with one from the last ball as Punjab go past the 100-run mark, in the ninth over.

The two Karnataka batsmen are playing pivotal knocks with the bat for Punjab against RCB in Bengaluru.

They are 101 for one in nine overs, needing another 102 runs from 11 overs for victory.

Pacer Southee comes back into the attack. He drifts on the pads as Agarwal flicks it through midwicket for a four. The next ball is again slipping down the leg side as Agarwal glances it fine for another four.

Spin introduced as Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack, to bowl the sixth over.

Rahul lofts the second ball straight down the ground for a six over long-on and then cuts the next for a four as he goes after Chahal straightaway.

Rahul then attempts the sweep but is beaten followed by two singles as 12 come from the over.

Punjab have started off well, reach 68 for one in six overs, needing another 135 runs from 14 overs for victory at just under 10 per over.

Rahul has started off brightly, hitting 32 from 18 balls, while Agarwal has made 10 from eight balls.

Navdeep Saini comes into the attack. The first ball is short as Gayle pulls it for a four before he misses out on the shot next ball and then takes a single on the leg side.

Saini bowls a wide delivery as Rahul plays a beautiful drive through the covers for a boundary.

He again bowls wide and full as Rahul this time lofts it over the covers for another four to get 13 from the over.

Umesh continues as he starts with a full toss which Gayle eases it down the ground, clearing long-on with ease for a six.

Umesh gets revenge off the next delivery as Gayle goes for another big hit down the ground but fails to clear the boundary as de Villiers takes an easy catch at long-on.

Gayle walks back for 23 from 10 balls, hitting four fours and a six.

Mayank Agarwal gets off the mark with a single before Rahul clips the fifth ball over midwicket for a four.

Punjab will need a quickfire start from their two dangerous openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, who will be difficult to contain if they get going.

Tim Southee, back into the team, will open the bowling for RCB. Rahul clips the first ball on the leg side for a single to get off the mark before Gayle defends the next followed by a wide.

Southee bowls a wide half-volley as Gayle hits it over point for a four before he tries to swing the next over the leg side but is beaten.

Southee again goes wide as Gayle again hits it square on the off-side for another boundary and repeats the shot last ball for the third four of the over, as 14 come from the opening over.

Umesh Yadav to bowl the second over. He starts with a leg side wide to Rahul, before the Punjab opener pulls the next ball square for a four.

The next ball is full but again on the pads as Rahul manages to clip it behind square for another boundary but Umesh does well to bowl four dot balls in a row.

AB de Villiers hit an unbeaten half-century to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a huge 202 for four in their 20 overs.

Put into bat, RCB lost captain Virat Kohli early after he was caught in the covers off Mohammed Shami for 13.

Parthiv Patel rallied the hosts with a quickfire 43 from 24 balls before RCB lost their way as three wickets fell for 10 runs in the space of 16 balls.

De Villiers started off steadily but cut loose sensationally at the end. After completing his fifty from 35 balls, there was no stopping de Villiers, who hit 32 runs from the next nine deliveries.

He got good support from Marcus Stoinis, who hit an unbeaten 46 from 34 balls with the duo putting on an unbroken stand of 121 from 66 balls for the fifth wicket.

Ravichandran Ashwin bowled a brilliant spell of one for 15 in four overs, but Punjab's bowling fell apart at the end as the pacers conceded as many as 64 runs from the last three overs.

Shami to bowl the 19th over. He starts off well as both de Villiers and Stoinis are beaten off first two balls but they manage to take a bye each.

De Villiers then gets hold of a length as he clobbers it over the off-side for a six and does the same with the next ball, crashing the slower ball over long-off for another six.

Shami then bowls a high full toss as de Villiers who trying to take evasive action manages to swat it over square leg for the third six in a row, sending the ball on to the roof of the M Chinnaswamy stadium.

Shami lucky to get away with that, as it looked a high full toss but the pacer got the benefit of doubt.

Brilliant change of gears from de Villiers as RCB stand in with a chance of getting to 200.

De Villiers took 35 balls to complete his century and since then has hit 25 from seven balls.

Shami goes for 21 in his final over, to finish one for 53 in his four overs.

No stopping de Villiers as he lofts a full delivery off his pads over midwicket for another six, his fourth from the last five balls faced, to raise the 100-run stand for the fifth wicket from just 61 balls.

He takes a single next ball before Stoinis joins the party as he swings Viljoen over square leg for a four.

Viljoen tries the slower ball but to no avail as Stoinis hammers it over long-on for a six.

Things going from bad to worse as Viljoen bowls a leg side full toss which he glances fine for another four.

The last ball is smashed over the long-on fence for the third six of the over to take RCB to 202 for four in their 20 overs.

A superb turnaround from the hosts courtesy of de Villiers, who smashed 82 from 44 balls, putting on an unbroken stand of 121 from 66 balls for the fifth wicket with Stoinis, who hit 46 from 34 balls.

Punjab's bowling disintegrated quite badly at the end, as they conceded 64 runs from the last three overs.

Ravi Ashwin comes back into the attack. Two singles from the first two balls before Stoinis steers a wide ball past point for two runs and then takes one to long-on.

De Villiers looks to make up for the quiet over as he attempts the reverse sweep off the last ball but fails to make connection.

Just five from the Ashwin over, who finishes with impressive figures of one for 15 in four overs.

Pacer Viljoen comes back into the attack. Stoinis goes hard as he hits it to long-on for one before de Villiers glances a full toss off his pads fine on the leg side for a four to bring up his fifty, from 35 balls.

The next ball is pitched up as de Villiers hammers it over long-on for a huge six.

'A six of astronomical proportions' says the giant screen inside the stadium.

Back to back wides from Viljoen as RCB go past the 150-run mark.

Pacer Rajpoot is back into the attack. Stoinis takes a single from the first ball before de Villiers pulls the next ball over midwicket for a four.

Rajpoot fails to learn from his mistakes as he bowls another short ball and this time de Villiers pulls it over the square leg fence for a six.

M Ashwin, who has one over in hand, comes back. Stoinis drives the second ball to long-on for one before de Villiers clips the next behind square for two runs.

M Ashwin drops short as de Villiers pulls it over midwicket for a six followed by two singles to get 11 from the over.

Pacer Viljoen comes back into the attack. He also keeps up the pressure with a tidy over, conceding just five runs as Punjab's bowlers continue to build the pressure.

De Villiers gets a lifeline as he gets an edge off M Ashwin but wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran is unable to react quickly as the ball hits his legs and goes on the off-side.

Two more singles as RCB go past the 100-run mark, in the 14th over before Stoinis lofts M Ashwin straight down the ground for a six to break the shackles.

That is the first boundary for RCB after a long wait of 45 deliveries, as they reach 109 for four in 14 overs.

De Villiers has been content to bat with caution, to score 25 from as many deliveries, while Stoinis is on 15 from 17 balls.

The two Ashwins have kept things tight, not letting the RCB batsmen get away with a tight spell from both ends.

Another tidy over from M Ashwin, who comes back into the attack, as he concedes just five runs.

Ravi Ashwin also does the same in his next over, giving away just five singles as RCB struggle to 94 for four in 12 overs.

They were 70 for one six after the first six overs, but have managed just 24 runs in the next six, while losing three wickets.

It has been more than five overs since the last boundary was hit by RCB and de Villiers will need to produce something special to break this stranglehold.

Pacer Hardus Viljoen comes into the attack. Punjab continue their wicket ways, striking for the third time in the last three overs.

Four singles from the first five balls before Nath is foxed by the slower ball. He is early into the cover drive, chipping it straight to the fielder in the covers to perish.

RCB in a complete mess on 81 for four, with de Villiers unbeaten on 13.

Ravi Ashwin bowls another tidy over, conceding just three runs as new batsman Marcus Stoinis opts to play with caution, blocking the first three balls and then takes one to get off the mark.

With not much batting to follow, de Villiers and Stoinis will need to get the innings back on track with a big partnership and bat as long as possible.

Leg-spinner Murugan Ashwin comes into the attack. He strikes in his first over with the wicket of Parthiv, who looks to heave the spinner on the leg side but gets the leading edge and is caught by Ravi Ashwin.

Parthiv walks back after a good innings of 43 from 24 balls as RCB are reduced to 71 for two in the seventh over.

Moeen Ali gets a thick outside edge off the first ball he faces, for a four fine on the off-side before he plays out the rest of the over.

Ashwins from both ends as Ravichandran Ashwin comes in from the other end. De Villiers takes a single from the second ball before Ashwin strikes with the wicket of the in-form Moeen, who is beaten all ends up and is bowled for four.

Akshdeep Nath gets off the mark with a single off the last ball as Ravi Ashwin concedes just two runs off his wicket.

Rajpoot continues as he drops short with De Villiers pulling it through midwicket for a four.

The next ball is pitched up as AB plays the drive through the covers where Mandeep Singh dives full length but gets his finger tips on it, deflecting the ball away from Mayank Agarwal, who had it covered, to give away three runs.

Rajpoot pitches it right up as Parthiv lofts it straight down the ground for a six, to bring up RCB's 50, in the fifth over.

Parthiv continues his attacking approach. He lofts the first ball of Shami's third over, lofting it over the off-side for a four. The next ball is short and wide as Parthiv slices it square, over point for another boundary.

Parthiv plays another attacking trying to heave it on the leg side but fails to make proper connection before he hammers Shami again over the off-side for another four.

Shami then bowls it full on the stumps as Parthiv flicks it uppishly as it carries over the square leg fence for a six as Shami goes for 18 in his third over.

Parthiv has smashed his way to 43 from 23 balls as RCB rally to 70 for one in six overs, having scored 32 from the last two overs.

Parthiv looking in good touch as he pulls Rajpoot over square leg for a four before the pacer bowls two no-balls in a row. But he does well to not concede a boundary off the two free hit deliveries.

Infact, Parthiv is bowled off an inside edge off the second free hit delivery as Rajpoot ends the over well, giving away just a single off the last three deliveries to concede just eight from the over.

Shami, who had Kohli's catch dropped in his first over, finally gets his man. He looks to play the lofted drive over the off-side but fails to get enough elevation and is caught in the covers for 13.

New batsman AB de Villiers nearly inside edges the next ball back to on his stumps before he defends the third ball watchfully.

AB then pulls the short ball to deep square leg for a single to get off the mark.

Two more singles as Shami concedes just three runs in his first over, while dismissing the dangerous Kohli early.

Captain Virat Kohli walks out to open the batting for RCB along with the in-form Parthiv Patel.

Pacer Ankit Rajpoot will open the bowling for the visitors. Parthiv gets going in style as he slashes the second ball past point for a four to get off the mark in confident fashion.

The next ball is lofted back over mid-off for a four as Parthiv makes his intentions clear early on.

Kohli steers the fifth ball through the off-side and then takes a single as 12 come from the first over.

Mohammed Shami to bowl from the other end. He is unlucky not to get the big wicket of Kohli first ball, who flicks it uppishly but Hardus Viljoen at midwicket puts down the simple catch.

The next ball is wide and full as Kohli drives it through the covers for a four and then hits the next through the same region for another boundary.

Kohli then takes a single on the off-side before Parthiv flicks the fifth ball fine on the leg side for another four and Shami follows it up with a wide as RCB race to 27 for no loss in two overs.

Kings XI Punjab captain Ravichandran Ashwin has won the toss and elected to bowl against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru.

The visitors have made two changes as Nicholas Pooran replaces Sam Curran, while Ankit Rajpoot comes in for Harpreet Brar.

For RCB, Dale Steyn misses because of a sore shoulder as he is replaced by Tim Southee, while Washington Sundar replaces Pawan Negi.

Welcome to the coverage of the Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab in Bengaluru on Wednesday.

Belatedly getting into the groove with back-to-back victories, Royal Challengers Bangalore would look to continue the momentum when they take on Kings XI Punjab.

RCB must be all fired up after posting a narrow one-run win against the formidable Chennai Super Kings and would be desperate to keep the juggernaut rolling.

Having survived a brutal assault at the hands of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the last game, they should have gained some confidence.

And the Virat Kohli-led RCB would not like to look back as they attempt to keep their slim hopes alive of making it to the play-offs.

Although AB de Villiers and Kohli did not click with the bat but the failures would prompt them to bounce back and perform better against Kings XI.

RCB might draw some inspiration from their match-winning knocks of an unbeaten 59 by de Villiers and 67 by Kohli, against Punjab when they clashed in the first leg.

However, their bowling remains a worry despite the arrival of Dale Steyn. RCB's bowling was exposed once again in the last match against CSK, when Dhoni almost pulled off the impossible chasing 162, needing 26 runs off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav.

The visitors ultimately fell short by just one run with wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel saving the day for RCB by running out Shardul Thakur off the last ball of the match.

It was RCB's only third win from 10 games in the season so far.

Kohli and Co. will hope to post another win this season against KXIP, who are placed fifth in the points table with 10 points.

Ravichandran Ashwin's outfit will be coming out all guns blazing, especially after losing their last match against Delhi Capitals by just two runs at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Punjab would want to consolidate their position in the points table with the help of hard-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle, K L Rahul and David Miller -- all of whom would be looking to capitalise on RCB's weak bowling.