IPL 2015 Match 29

Match abandoned RCB v Rajasthan Royals 

Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle were gone inside three overs, AB de Villiers was run out before the death, and rain washed out play after the first innings, yet the Chinnaswamy Stadium was dazzled by a 17-year-old's 45 not out from 21, as Royal Challengers Bangalore sped to 200 for 7. Playing his second IPL innings, Sarfaraz Khan clubbed six fours and a six to ensure the hosts did not suffer for conceding two run outs in the middle overs, taking a particular liking to the bowling of Pravin Tambe - a man 26 years his senior.

Sarfaraz began his charge with an upper cut four off James Faulkner in the 16th over, before finding the boundary off successive Shane Watson balls the following over. It was his taking apart of Tambe in the 18th over, though, which made 200 possible for Royal Challengers. Sarfaraz swept Tambe powerfully first ball, then advanced to launch the bowler over his head for six. An inside-out four would come three balls later. The 18 runs from that over pushed the score to 175 for 6, after which David Weise and Harshal Patel helped add the finishing touches.

Rajasthan Royals had began brightly enough, when the recalled Tim Southee had Gayle caught at midwicket in the first over, then had Kohli nicking behind in the third. De Villiers was not compelled to caution by a scoreline of 19 for 2 however, and he struck James Faulkner for three successive fours in the fifth over. He and Mandeep Singh put on a 74-run stand, the highlight of which was de Villiers' wallop over the deep-midwicket fence off Stuart Binny. That shot brought up his fifty off 41 balls, but a mix up with Dinesh Karthik cost him his wicket in the 13th over.

All this would be of no avail in the end, though. Rain began to fall in Bangalore during the innings break, and did not fully abate until 11:39pm, when the match was called off.