IPL: Bangalore restrict Punjab to 138/7

Royal Challengers Bangalore restricted Kings XI Punjab to 138/7 in their allotted 20 overs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Friday.

Axar Patel (38 not out) and Manan Vohra (25) were the major contributors to Punjab's cause.

Punjab got off to a poor start as openers Hashim Amla (1) and Martin Guptill (9) were sent back to the pavilion inside five overs.

Amla was dismissed by medium pacer Aniket Choudhary on the penultimate ball of the first over and Guptill was dismissed by Sreenath Aravind in the fourth over.

With 18/2 in 3.3 overs, Marsh and Vohra tried to stabilise the innings and they were almost successful but after adding 21 runs in 3.3 overs the latter was sent packing by spinner Pawan Negi. In his 17-ball knock Marsh slammed three boundaries.

Vohra, who seemed good at the middle was also dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal in the 12th over. Vohra's 28-ball knock was laced with one boundary and one six.

Skipper Glen Maxwell (6) also failed to rise to the occasion as he was also dismissed by Chahal in the very next over.

Middle-order batsmen Wriddhiman Shah (21)and Axar Patel then forged a 34-run partnership to help the visitors to get past the 100-run mark.

But soon, Shah, who played 25 balls and slammed one boundary, was bowled by Shane Watson in the 18th over.

In the very next over, new batsman Mohit Sharma (6) was also dismissed with the scoreboard reading 119/7.

The last over saw some boundaries from Patel but that was not enough for Punjab to post a challenging total.

For Bangalore, Choudhary and Chahal scalped two wickets each while Aravind Watson and Negi chipped in with one wicket each.

Brief score:

Kings XI Punjab: 138/7 (Axar Patel 38 not out, Manan Vohra 25; Aniket Choudhary 2/17) against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

--IANS

gau/bg