Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers Bangalore to move top of IPL ladder

This win, after losing the toss and being invited to bat first by Faf du Plessis, came in spite of a rare failure for Jos Buttler, who made just eight

Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals 144-8, Royal Challengers Bangalore 115 - Rajasthan Royals win by 29 runs

Scorecard

Rajasthan Royals moved to the top of the Indian Premier League thanks to a victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mumbai.

This win, after losing the toss and being invited to bat first by Faf du Plessis, came in spite of a rare failure for Jos Buttler.

On Sunday, Buttler made his third IPL hundred of the season, but he was caught by Mohammed Siraj at mid-on for just eight on this occasion as Rajasthan faltered in the powerplay.

He was the third man out, following the dismissals of Devdutt Padikkal and Ravichandran Ashwin to Josh Hazlewood and Siraj respectively.

They gradually recovered thereafter; Sanju Samson smashed three sixes in his 21-ball stay, but he fell to Wanindu Hasaranga, the Sri Lankan leg-spinner – the fifth time he has picked up his wicket in T20 cricket.

New Zealander Daryl Mitchell then helped to stabilise the innings for Royals, but he went without a boundary for 24 balls and eventually gave Hazlewood his second victim in a miserly spell that included the rarity of a maiden.

^{Riyan Parag played a crucial knock for Rajasthan Royals}

When fellow overseas player Shimron Hetmyer fell seven balls later, Rajasthan were 102 for 6 and on the ropes. But Riyan Parag, batting at No.6, provided a match-shaping cameo, reaching an invaluable unbeaten half century, without which Samson's side would have had little at all to defend.

In reply, Virat Kohli's miserable run of form continued, this time at the top of the order. He was skittish and visibly out of rhythm, eventually falling to Prasidh Krishna for nine, with none of RCB's top order able to break the shackles.

Du Plessis used 21 balls for his 23, while Rajat Patidar made a run-a-ball 16. Patidar went to Ashwin, while du Plessis and Glen Maxwell fell in consecutive deliveries to Kuldeep Sen.

From that point, the contest was a one-sided affair; Shahbaz Ahmed made 17 off 27 deliveries, clearing the ropes once but otherwise unable to find the boundary and eventually falling to Ashwin, while Suyash Prabhudessai gave the Indian great his third wicket on the evening that he claimed his 150th IPL wicket.

When Dinesh Karthik was run out in bizarre fashion and Sen caught Hasaranga off his own bowling, Bangalore's last hopes had gone.