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Bisla-Bopara fire early
Kings XI Punjab openers Manvinder Bisla and Ravi Bopara set the stage on fire as they went hammer and tongs against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Tuesday.
Bisla took the initiative and bludgeoned the bowlers all over the park. Dale Steyn and Preveen Kumar bore the brunt of BIsla's hammering, both the bowlers going for over nine-runs an over. He treated the bowlers with disdain and kept sending them over the ropes. His blazing innings was inclusive of six fours and 4 sixes.
His opening partner Bopara was the quieter of the two batsman, but he also took his chances. They ensured that they kept the wickets in tact and raced to 100 for no loss within the 10-over mark.
Bisla was eventually dismissed by Praveen Kumar for a well made 75 after being holed out by Kumble.
Bopara shines
At 129 for 1 in the 15th over, Punjab were looking good to touch the 200-run mark.
Yuvraj Singh came in to bat at number 3 and made his intentions clear by hitting a boundary. But he didn't stay long as he skied one only to be caught by Dale Steyn in the deep off the bowling off Eoin Morgan.
Bopara was unfazed by the loss of Yuvraj and continued to maul the opposition. His hard-hitting saw him earn the Orange cap for overtaking Yusuf Pathan as the highest scorer, so far, this IPL season.
Jayawardene joins the party
Mahela Jayawardene replaced Yuvraj in the middle and along with Bopara took the score to 200.
Jayawardene was at his lethal best and made a quick-fire 26 off 13 deliveries. Bopara, who made a smashing 77 off 50 balls was dismissed in the last over.
But Jayawardene smashed three fours and a six to push the Punjab total to 203 for 3.
Pandey, Kallis give Royal Challengers good start
A spectatcular 89 by Jacques Kallis and a whirlwind 51 by Robin Uthappa helped Royal Challengers Bangalore score a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab.
Uthappa's 19-ball fifty was the second fastest in the IPL and was involved in a crucial second-wicket partnership with Kallis, one that changed the course of the match.
Royal Challengers had a cautious start with just 10 runs coming off the first two overs. However, in the third over (bowled by Irfan) their batsmen broke loose, Kallis lifting the first ball towards the long-off boundary. Two balls later, Manish Pandey smashed the ball straight past the bowler for his first boundary, the umpire doing well to get out of the way.Pandey was looked in fine nick and slammed Yusuf Abdullah in particular.
However, he was accounted for by Piyush Chwala. Then Uthappa came and joined in the big-hitting carnival. The 50-run partnership between Kallis and Uthappa came off just 26 balls.
Uthappa was out off the very delivery of reaching his 50.
Kallis scores winning runs
With 139 runs in the tournament Kallis overtook Ravi Bopara to claim the Orange Cap for highest scorer in the IPL this season.
The South African veteran had come with the mindset of winning and that he proved by smashing the bowlers all over the park.
He hit 3 huge sixes and a four in the 18th over off the bowling of Vipul Sharma. Kallis then struck the winning runs in the 19th over by hitting a handsome boundary.