Indian Premier League 9, Qualifier 1: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Lions - As it happened...

Royal Challengers Bangalore made it to the final of the IPL 9 as they won Qualifier 1 by four wickets against Gujarat Lions.  

Royal Challengers Bangalore Innings

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Over 18.2 || Score 159/6 (Abdulla 33, De Villiers 79)

Praveen Kumar to bowl the penultimate over. Single of the first ball by ABD. Abdulla then ran a double off the next ball to finish off the game. And it means RCB beat Gujarat by four wickets, with 10 balls to spare.   

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Over 18 || Score 156/6 (Abdulla 31, De Villiers 78)

Bravo to bowl the over. 4 leg byes from the first ball. Abdulla hit three back to back boundaries off the last three balls. 18 runs came from the over. RCB need 3 runs from 12 balls to win the match.     

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Over 17 || Score 138/6 (Abdulla 20, De Villiers 77)

Strike bowler Praveen Kumar back into the attack. Third ball was clobbered towards mid-wicket for a massive six. Then came a reverse sweep, which gave AB a boundary. Seamer leaked 11 runs. RCB need 21 runs from 18 balls to win the match.

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Over 16 || Score 126/6 (Abdulla 19, De Villiers 66)

Jakati was hit for a six off the first ball by ABD. Abdulla also launched the bowler for another six off the fifth ball. 16 runs came from the over. RCB need 33 runs from 24 balls to win the match.

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Over 15 || Score 110/6 (Abdulla 11, De Villiers 58)

Smith to bowl his opening over. AB de Villiers hit a boundary off the 3rd ball to complete his fifty. The South African then celebrated it by smacking the bowler for a six off the next ball. Big over as 14 runs came in it. RCB need 49 runs from 30 balls to win the match.    

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Over 14 || Score 96/6 (Abdulla 8, De Villiers 47)

Bravo to continue. Abdulla survived a big caught behind appeal from the bowler off the 2nd ball. Economical over by the West Indian, four runs came off it. RCB need 63 runs from 36 balls to win the match.   

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Over 13 || Score 92/6 (Abdulla 6, De Villiers 45)

Jadeja to bowl his final over. Tight over by the left-arm spinner as he conceded mere three runs in it. RCB need 67 runs from 42 balls to win the match. 

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Over 12 || Score 89/6 (Abdulla 5, De Villiers 43)

Dwayne Bravo has come into the attack for the first time. 4th ball was drove towards cover region by AB for a boundary. Eight runs came from the over. AB can still take the game away from Gujarat.  

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Over 11 || Score 81/6 (Abdulla 3, De Villiers 37)

Shadab Jakati with his 2nd over. A free hit and AB de Villiers smacked the bowler for a six over long on. Good over for RCB as 11 runs came from it. 

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Over 10 || Score 70/6 (Abdulla 1, De Villiers 29)

Jadeja picked up his 2nd wicket as he trapped Binny in front of the wicket. Iqbal Abdulla has come to the crease. Gujarat are dominating the proceedings at the moment. 

STR Binny lbw b Jadeja 21 (15b)

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Over 9 || Score 65/5 (Binny 20, De Villiers 26)

Shadab Jakati with his maiden over of the match. Binny hit the spinner for two consecutive boundaries and a six. Big over for RCB as 18 runs came from it.    

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Over 8 || Score 47/5 (Binny 6, De Villiers 23)

Kulkarni with his last over. Another excellent over by the seamer. He finished his spell with outstanding figures of 4-14-4. 

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Over 7 || Score 41/5 (Binny 2, De Villiers 21)

Kulkarni created havoc in the RCB batting line up as he picked yet another wicket in the form of Baby. Half of the RCB team is back in the hut. Now the onus is on ABD.  

Sachin Baby c Jakati b Kulkarni 0 (3b)

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Over 5 || Score 28/4 (Baby 0, De Villiers 10)

Jadeja into the attack. And he gave Lions' another breakthrough in the form of Watson. Three runs came from the over. Bangalore are in deep deep trouble.  

SR Watson c Smith b Jadeja 1 (6b)

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Over 4 || Score 25/3 (Watson 0, De Villiers 8)

Kulkarni is on a roll. He picked up two wickets in two consecutive balls. First he got the better of Gayle and then sent Rahul back to the hut. Maiden wicket by the seamer.      

KL Rahul c Smith b Kulkarni 0 (1b)

CH Gayle b Kulkarni 9 (12b)

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Over 2 || Score 17/1 (Gayle 9, De Villiers 1)

Dhawal Kulkarni gave Gujarat their first breakthrough that too in the form of Kohli. He nicked one on to his stumps. Big blow for RCB. AB de Villiers is the new man in.   

V Kohli b Kulkarni 0 (2b)

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Over 1 || Score 11/0 (Gayle 5, Kohli 0)

Praveen Kumar to bowl the opening over. Gayle opened his account with a boundary off the first ball. Expensive first over by Praveen as he gave 11 runs.    

V Kohli b Kulkarni 0 (2b)

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Gujarat Lions Innings

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Over 20 || Score 158/10 (Jakati 1)

Jordan to bowl the last over. Two singles off the first two balls. Praveen clean bowled off the next. 4th ball, no run. Single from the fifth. Last ball, Kulkarni got run out while stealing the 2nd run. And with that RCB put up challenging total of 158 on board.   

DS Kulkarni run out 10 (4b) 

P Kumar b Jordan 1 (2b)

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Over 19 || Score 154/8 (Praveen 0, Kulkarni 8)

After hitting Watson for two consecutive sixes Dwivedi lost his wicket off the 3rd ball. Off the next ball Bravo too trudged back to the pavilion. Excellent spell by the Australian - 4-29-4. But 21 runs came from the over.     

DJ Bravo b Watson 8 (6b) 

ER Dwivedi c Kohli b Watson 19 (9b) 

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Over 18 || Score 133/6 (Dwivedi 7, Bravo 8)

Jordan with his 3rd over. Bravo hit a boundary off the 3rd ball towards off side. That was the only big shot in the over, apart from the 4leg byes. 12 runs came from the over.  

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Over 17 || Score 121/6 (Dwivedi 5, Bravo 3)

Chahal finally picked up his first wicket, that too in the form of dangerous Smith, who was caught at long on by Kohli. Eklavya Dwivedi walked into the middle. 

DR Smith c Kohli b Chahal 73 (41b)

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Over 16 || Score 108/5 (Smith 67, Bravo 1)

Watson picked up his 2nd wicket as he got the better of Jadeja. Dwayne Bravo has come to the middle to join Smith. Four runs came from the over along with a wicket.    

RA Jadeja c Gayle b Watson 3 (7b)

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Over 15 || Score 104/4 (Smith 66, Jadeja 2)

Aravind back into the attack. Third ball was a full toss and Smith muscled it towards square leg for a flat six. Lions crossed the 100-run mark with that hit. Ten runs came from the over. 

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Over 14 || Score 94/4 (Smith 58, Jadeja 0)

Jordan back to bowl his 2nd over. Karthik Out! In trying to play a innovative shot towards fine leg, Karthik played on to his stumps. Ravindra Jadeja has come to the middle.

KD Karthik b Jordan 26 (30b)

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Over 13 || Score 89/3 (Smith 56, Karthik 23)

Abdulla with his last over. Smith his a boundary and a six to complete his fifty in style. The West Indian used mere 31 balls to reach the mark, laced with five boundaries and four massive sixes.  

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Over 12 || Score 72/3 (Smith 45, Karthik 18)

Smith again smacked Chahal for a six off the last ball to collect eight runs from the over. Smith and Karthik have also added 50-run stand for the fourth wicket.  

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Over 11 || Score 64/3 (Smith 38, Karthik 17)

Abdulla with his 3rd over. Now Lions batsmen are trying to up the ante with the help of big hits. Tight over by the spinner, six runs came off it.   

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Over 10 || Score 58/3 (Smith 37, Karthik 12)

Smith launched Chahal's first delivery for a six over over long on. The West Indian then hit the bowler for a boundary straight over his head. From the last ball, came 4 byes as the leggie proved expensive in the over, 16 came from it.       

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Over 9 || Score 42/3 (Smith 22, Karthik 11)

Stuart Binny to bowl. The dibbly-dobbly​ bowler cramped the batsmen for room in the over, four runs came from it.  

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Over 8 || Score 38/3 (Smith 20, Karthik 9)

Kohli has now introduced his best bowler Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack for the first time. The leggie is also the purple cap holder. Tight over first up by the tweaker as he conceded five runs.  

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Over 7 || Score 33/3 (Smith 18, Karthik 6)

Chris Jordan with his opening over. Smith pulled the bowler for a flat six over square leg. The bowler leaked nine runs.  

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Over 6 || Score 23/3 (Smith 11, Karthik 5)

Watson to continue. Bangalore bowlers have given no room what so ever to Gujarat batsmen to free their arms. Legendary badminton player Prakash Padukone has also come to the stadium to cheer local team, Bangalore. Three runs came from the over.    

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Over 5 || Score 20/3 (Smith 10, Karthik 3)

Iqbal Abdulla with his 2nd over. Dr Smith hit the spinner for two consecutive boundaries to collect ten from the over. 

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Over 4 || Score 10/3 (Smith 1, Karthik 2)

Shane Watson to bowl his first over. Anothther blow for Lions, Raina Out! Aravind took a low catch at short fine leg to sent the skipper back in the hut. Visitors in deep deep trouble. Perfect first over by the burly Australian. 

SK Raina c Aravind b Watson 1 (9b)

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Over 3 || Score 9/2 (Raina 1, Karthik 2)

Aravind to continue. Again a tight over by the seamer, two runs came off it. Skipper Raina has to play a sensible knock tonight.  

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Over 2 || Score 7/2 (Raina 0, Karthik 1)

Iqbal Abdulla into the attack. McCullum Out! Gave a simple catch to AB at deep covers. Double Blow, Finch Out! Caught at slips. Abdulla is in a roll here. Two wickets in his first over. 

AJ Finch c Gayle b Iqbal Abdulla 4 (6b)

​BB McCullum c de Villiers b Iqbal Abdulla 1 (4b)

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Over 1 || Score 2/0 (McCullum 1; Finch 0)

Finch and McCullum have come to open the innings for Gujarat Lions, while Sreenath Aravind is set to bowl the first over. Gujarat opened his account with the help of an extra (leg byes) off the third ball. McCullum took a single off the last ball as two came from the over.      

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Playing XI in today's tie.

.@TheGujaratLions Playing XI #GLvRCB #VIVOIPL. Follow the game here - https://t.co/221W1AtGFm pic.twitter.com/il0SSYHKJx — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2016

.@RCBTweets Playing XI #GLvRCB #VIVOIPL. Follow the game here - https://t.co/221W1AtGFm pic.twitter.com/3CqaAlayGL — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2016

.@imVkohli and his boys are gearing-up for their game against @TheGujaratLions #GLvRCB #VIVOIPLhttps://t.co/mtDSSFmCAj — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 24, 2016

RCB have won the TOSS and elected to bowl first. 

Welcome to our LIVE UPDATES of Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League's ninth edition, which is being played between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Lions at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore.  

It's certainly going to be a cracker of a match as both the teams would love to enter the final by winning today's tie.

Virat Kohli-led RCB have a slight edge over Gujarat as they are playing at their home ground. After winning four back-to-back matches, Bangalore are looking unbeatable at the moment. 

Small ground, placid track and power-packed batting line up of both the teams promise a high scoring game.

Going into the match, Suresh Raina can take heart from the the fact that they have more balanced team than RCB, at least on papers.

And if they play as a unit, the are capable of beating any side on a given day.   

For the visiting team, Kohli, who is in the form of his life, would be a major threat.  

Teams (from):

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (C), Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, KL Rahul, Sachin Baby, Varun Aaron, Abu Nechim, Sreenath Aravind, Stuart Binny, Yuzvendra Chahal, Travis Head, Iqbal Abdullah, Kedar Jadhav, Chris Jordan, David Wiese, Akshay Karnewar, Sarfaraz Khan, Vikramjeet Malik, Mandeep Singh, Parveez Rasool, Harshal Patel, Kane Richardson, Tabraiz Shamshi, Vikas Tokas, Praveen Dubey.

Gujarat Lions: Suresh Raina (C), Dwayne Smith, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Ravindra Jadeja, Dale Steyn, James Faulkner, Ishan Kishan, Praveen Kumar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shivil Kaushik, Dwayne Bravo, Sarabjit Ladda, Amit Mishra, Akashdeep Nath, Paras Dogra, Eklavya Dwivedi, Shadab Jakati, Pradeep Sangwan, Jaydev Shah, Umang Sharma, Pravin Tambe, Andrew Tye.

Kulkarni