AMBATI Rayudu hit a six off the last ball to power Mumbai to a thrilling five-wicket victory over hosts Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.
IPL top scorer Chris Gayle continued his purple patch by blasting an unbeaten 75 as Royal Challengers Bangalore crushed Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in Sunday (May 22)’s other match to top the points table.
Chennai and Bangalore will meet again in Tuesday (May 24)’s first playoff in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, a day before Kolkata take on Mumbai in the second playoff at the same venue.
Put into bat at Eden Gardens, Kolkata posted a commanding 175 for seven with useful contributions from Jacques Kallis (59), Manoj Tiwary (35) and Yusuf Pathan (36).
Reeling at 137 for five in the 18th over, Mumbai’s chase looked doomed with the visitors needing 21 off the last over, sent down by Lakshmipathy Balaji.
But James Franklin (45 not out) hit four successive fours before Rayudu clubbed a full toss over the deep square leg boundary to secure an unlikely victory.
In Bangalore, the hosts restricted Chennai to 128 for eight, a total that owed much to a 40-ball 70 from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Gayle, however, matched Dhoni’s big hitting with six sixes in his 50-ball knock as Bangalore reached the target with two overs to spare.
