IPL Results 2018: Rajasthan vs. Punjab Score and Updated T20 Points Table
May 8, 2018
Rajasthan Royals' Jos Buttler raises his bat after scoring a quick fifty during VIVO IPL cricket T20 match against Delhi Daredevils' in New Delhi, India, Wednesday, May 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Rajasthan Royals kept their slim hopes of making the IPL 2018 play-offs alive after beating Kings XI Punjab by 15 runs on Tuesday.
It was a must-win match for Rajasthan, and they delivered the goods to move off the bottom of the table and into sixth place.
Rajasthan Royals (158/8) beat Kings XI Punjab (142/7) by 15 runs
Rajasthan went into the game on the back of three straight defeats but won the toss and opted to bat.
Jos Buttler was the star for the hosts as he managed his third straight half-century on his way to 82. Broken Cricket showed how successful he's been as an opener:
It was an incredible effort by Rahul who came agonisingly close to what would have been an impressive century.
Yet he could not do it all by himself, and it's a much-needed win for Rajasthan. They remain just about in contention but face another tough test next time out against Chennai Super Kings.
Rajasthan Royals vs. Kings XI Punjab, IPL: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV, Preview
Apr 19, 2015
Rajasthan Royals' Shane Watson bats during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians in Jaipur, India, Friday, April 29, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)
The Royals have won five straight games and top the table, while Kings XI are outside the playoffs having won just once.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Date: Tuesday, April 21
Start time: 8 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. BST
Live on: Sony Six and Set Max (India), IMG (Caribbean), PCCW (Hong Kong), Maasranga TV (Bangladesh), Sky NZ (New Zealand), Sky Sports (UK), EMTV (Papua New Guinea), Measat (Malaysia), OSN Network (Middle East), StarHub (Singapore), Super Sports (Sub-Saharan Africa), Geo Super (Pakistan), Carlton Sports Network (Sri Lanka), Sportsnet (Canada), Willow TV (USA).
Weather: According to Weather.com, Ahmedabad promises to be very warm and sunny, with temperatures set to peak at 45 degrees Celsius.
Overview
Rajasthan come into this game on the back of another victory in this year’s IPL, this time at the expense of the Chennai Super Kingsby eight wickets.
The Super Kings made 156 batting first, and in response it was an easy ride for the Royals as they overhauled their target for the loss of just two wickets.
Openers Shane Watson and Ajinkya Rahane both passed 70 to lead Rajasthan to the brink of the win, in what was Watson’s first appearance of the 2015 IPL.
On his first appearance in the 2015 IPL, Rajasthan captain Shane Watson showed he is in good touch with 73 against the Chennai Super Kings.
A key part of the lineup as an opening batsman, Watson will be determined to take that form into this game.
George Bailey
Punjab captain George Bailey has been in superb form with the bat in recent games, and will need to continue as such if his side are to be successful.
Kings XI are currently outside the playoff spots, and will need their captain to fire if they want to make progress up the table.
Rajasthan vs. Mumbai, IPL: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview
Apr 12, 2015
Rajasthan Royals' Shane Watson, right, plays a shot against Pune Warriors during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match in Jaipur, India, Sunday, May 13, 2012. (AP Photo) INDIA OUT
The Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians continue the starts to their Indian Premier League campaigns as they collide in Ahmedabad.
So far, the Royals have a perfect two wins from two games, while Mumbai have lost both their opening games, meaning both have had very differing fortunes so far.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Date: Tuesday April 14
Start time: 8 p.m. local time, 3:30 p.m. BST
Live on: Sony Six and Set Max (India), IMG (Caribbean), PCCW (Hong Kong), Maasranga TV (Bangladesh), Sky NZ (New Zealand), Sky Sports (UK), EMTV (Papua New Guinea), Measat (Malaysia), OSN Network (Middle East), StarHub (Singapore), Super Sports (Sub-Saharan Africa), Geo Super (Pakistan), Carlton Sports Network (Sri Lanka), Sportsnet (Canada), Willow TV (USA).
Weather: According to Weather.com, Ahmedabad promises to be mostly sunny with temperatures peaking at 36 degrees Celsius.
Overview
Rajasthan have enjoyed a strong start to this year’s IPL, having won two games from a possible two and being kept off the top spot on net run rate alone.
In their first match, the Royals dispatched Kings XI Punjabby 26 runs in what was a strong start for stand-in captain Steven Smith.
Rajasthan scored 162 up first with the bat and then kept Punjab to 136-8 to take the win and ensure their tournament got off to the best possible start.
In the following game against the Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan conceded 184-3 to their opponents who batted first.
However, they managed to get over the line off the last ball by three wickets to continue their strong start to the year.
At the other end of things, the Mumbai Indians have struggled and find themselves winless from their opening two games.
First up against the Kolkata Knight Riders, Rohit Sharma blitzed 98 not out to lead his side to 168-3, but it was not enough as Kolkata lost just three wickets in overhauling their target.
The following game, Kings XI won by 18 runs as they managed to prevent the Indians from chasing down 178 to win.
Having both had very different tournaments so far, it promises to be an intriguing game between these two IPL giants.
Team News
Rajasthan Royals (from): Shane Watson (capt), Ankit Sharma, Brainder Sran, Rajat Bhatia, Stuart Binny, Ben Cutting, James Faulkner, Deepak Hooda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Vikramjeet Malik, Chris Morris, Karun Nair, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Pardeep Sahu, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Tim Southee, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Rusty Theron, Sagar Trivedi, Dishant Yagnik
Australian all-rounder James Faulkner remains a crucial part of the lineup for the Rajasthan Royals.
He struggled last time out against Delhi, but against Kings XI Punjab he took wickets and scored runs to show just how useful he is with both bat and ball.
Rohit Sharma
Indian batsman Rohit Sharma is crucial for Mumbai if they are to be successful in this game.
He has already scored 98 not out and a duck in his two innings so far, and he will need to be on top form for Mumbai if they are to stop their losing streak.
Rajasthan Royals Must Gamble and Change James Faulkner's Role with Bat and Ball
May 23, 2014
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 19: James Faulkner of Australia celebrates the wicket of Ravi Bopara of England during game three of the One Day International Series between Australia and England at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 19, 2014 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)
The talented 24-year-old found himself below Stuart Binny and Rahul Tewatia, and by the time he entered the game was powerless to prevent defeat for the Royals by 16 runs.
After he eventually came to the crease at the end of the 16th over, Faulkner showed the Royals exactly what they had been missing as he hit 35 from 13 balls with one four and four superb sixes.
Just imagine if he had come in earlier.
Despite relatively limited opportunities in the lower order, Faulkner has made a number of telling contributions with the bat in scoring 158 runs at an average of 52.66.
Looking at his statistics, were Faulkner to come in earlier and deliver the kind of innings he has been playing, Rajasthan could expect to have much more success with the bat than they have been having.
When you consider the inconsistent Shane Watson at No. 4, an undoubtedly class batsman who has struggled a little in 2014, moving the in-form Faulkner up the order makes a great deal of sense.
The all-rounder is in scintillating form and has been relatively consistent over the course of this year’s tournament, so the increased opportunity an elevation in the batting order would present may well be enormously beneficial both for the team and the individual.
He may be young and still developing with the bat, but if he has time in the innings available to him, he is likely to make many more telling contributions.
Just ask Royal Challengers Bangalore, who were recently on the receiving end of an unbeaten 41 from Faulkner after he came to the crease in the 14th over and proceeded to blitz their bowling.
Not only does Faulkner have plenty to offer with the bat, he may also benefit from different opportunities with the ball at a different time in the opposition’s innings.
Usually, Faulkner is brought on to bowl relatively early in proceedings while the ball is still pretty new and with both opposition batsmen looking dangerous.
His figures have suffered as a result, especially his economy rate for the tournament—9.27 runs per over—which is one of Rajasthan’s worst.
However, were he to be given the responsibility of the new ball, with some overs reserved for the latter stages of the innings, perhaps he would benefit.
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 29: James Faulkner of the Stars celebrates the wicket of Stephen O'Keefe of the Sixers during the Big Bash League match between the Sydney Sixers and the Melbourne Stars at the SCG on December 29, 2013 in Sydney, Australia.
If he was to bowl the first or second over of the innings, he would be able to establish a far greater rhythm as the batsmen look to settle in at the crease before opening their shoulders.
In the past, he has shown himself to be a very canny operator in Twenty20 cricket, and his overall economy rate of 7.50 in T20 shows that he is capable of drying up the runs.
With the new ball and all the responsibility that entails, perhaps Faulkner would be even more effective and able to showcase his skills that much more.
Rajasthan would surely benefit from giving him a greater role with bat and ball too, especially as they look nervously over their shoulder from the final playoff spot.
Punjab vs. Rajasthan, IPL 2014: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
May 22, 2014
Rajasthan Royals Shane Watson, right, is complimented by Rahul Dravid after he hit a six during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore in Jaipur, India, Wednesday, May 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)
Rajasthan Royals will be looking to seal their play-off spot in Mohali, whilst Kings XI Punjab hope to bounce back from the defeat to Mumbai Indians and give the Mohali crowd a first taste of the form that has taken them to the top of the table.
Venue: Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali
Date: Friday, May 23
Time: 3:30 p.m. BST/8 p.m. local time
Live on: Sony Six, Star Sports HD, Star Sports 1 (India), ITV4 (United Kingdom), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN (UAE), SkyTV (New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Sportsnet and Omni (Canada), Sports Max (West Indies), Geo Super (Pakistan) and Starhub (Singapore).
Weather: A mostly sunny day in Mohali with a bit of cloud cover as temperatures rise to 38 degrees Celsius in the afternoon according to the Weather Channel. As the sun goes down, temperatures will cool to around 29 degrees Celsius by the time the first ball is being bowled at 8 p.m., and this will get gradually cooler throughout the evening. The humidity will increase slightly from 37 percent at 8 p.m. to 40 percent by 11 p.m.
Overview
Both sides come into this game off the back of defeats to a rejuvenated Mumbai Indians side. Last Monday the Royals' batting failed to fire with nobody from No. 2 through to No. 7 making double figures. Kings XI Punjab lost their first game in Mohali as Lendl Simmons thundered his way to the first century of the 7th edition of the IPL.
KXIP have long since booked their place in the play-offs but will be hoping for the win that will secure their place in the first qualifier at Eden Gardens, thereby giving themselves a nice buffer with two chances to make the final.
There is no such luxury for Rajasthan Royals, who looked to be well set for the play-offs until their recent set-back in Ahmedabad, and consecutive victories from Sunrisers Hyderabad and Mumbai Indians have ramped up the pressure with both snapping at their heels.
Defeat could potentially set up a winner-takes-all decider against Mumbai at the Wankhede on Sunday that they will be keen to avoid.
Depending upon tomorrow's #KXIPvsRR match result the remaining IPL league matches will be exciting or a dead rubber. RR's loss = exciting
It could well be all about the Australian elements on each team, with skipper George Bailey and Glenn Maxwell offering middle-order muscle to KXIP and Shane Watson leading from the front for RR with James Faulkner and Steve Smith lending their captain support with bat and ball in hand.
With Mumbai Indians' slower bowlers proving effective and the Mohali pitch offering little to the seamers, Rajasthan Royals will be hoping to mimic the Mumbai performance, hoping that their slow bowlers can keep the fearsome Punjab top six quiet and one of Watson or Ajinkya Rahane can play the Simmons role, chipping in with a match-winning knock from the top of the order.
Whichever way it goes, the crowd will certainly be hoping to see plenty of runs, with batsmen from both teams featuring in the top-runscorer list for this edition.
As Mumbai Indians showed, getting Maxwell out cheaply is key to beating KXIP, and with half of his 12 dismissals coming to leg-spin, the wily experience of veteran Pravin Tambe could prove pivotal to the outcome of this game and the Royals bid to secure their play-off place.
Rajasthan Royals' Team Changes Make Little Sense Ahead of IPL Play-Offs
May 19, 2014
Rajasthan Royals batsman Shane Watson walks back after his dismissal during the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match against Kolkata Knight Riders in Kolkata, India, Sunday, April 17, 2011. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)
There is a thin line between being smart and being over-smart. The outcome of your actions often determine on which side of the fence you've fallen.
The Rajasthan Royals fell on the wrong side after their match against the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League at Ahmedabad on Monday.
Ahead of the two sides' first clash of the season, the Royals were sitting pretty in third place on the table with three matches to go, needing just one win to confirm a place in the play-offs. An unlikely loss in all three games could open the doors for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, currently in fifth, to sneak through.
The key word here is "could." There was still the faintest of chances of them being kicked out of the top four. Going by form, it looked highly unlikely that the Royals would lose three straight games, but they could.
What do you do in such situations? Do you experiment with your team or play your best XI and eliminate any possibility of being knocked out, before rotating your squad?
The question had come up because of the Royals' experimentation in the two matches prior to Monday's game. Against Chennai Super Kings, the most consistent team in the IPL, the Royals had dropped Sanju Samson, one of their most consistent batsmen over two seasons, and given a debut to Ankit Sharma.
What's more, Sharma was promoted to the top of the order and Ajinkya Rahane, a natural and proven opener, was dropped to No. 3. Kane Richardson had also been dropped, and Kevon Cooper was given his first game of the season.
Rajasthan lost the match by five wickets.
In the next game, against bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils, Royals skipper Shane Watson decided to have a rest, and Ben Cutting came in. Sharma was dropped after just one game, and Rahane was back up the order.
Rajasthan won that match by 62 runs.
Coming into the match against Mumbai, who were second from bottom, Richardson confirmed that the Royals would go back to their best XI. Speaking ahead of the match, Richardson said, as reported by ESPNcricinfo:
No experiments; we are after a win. The way the points table is looking, Kolkata Knight Riders are a threat as well. So for us, it is about getting that win to get us through to the playoffs. And it will be nice to do it this game. If you do that kind of stuff [experiment], you set yourself up for bad luck. You have to make sure you win. If your team has qualified for the finals, you can think about stuff like that.
Fair point, Kane. But was your team management listening?
When Watson walked out for the toss on Monday, you would have thought that the Royals had gone back to their best XI. As it turned out, rather bafflingly for almost everyone following the game, the Royals had dropped Rahane and given Unmukt Chand his first game of the season.
Also finding himself on the bench was Pravin Tambe, their leading wicket-taker this season. Sharma was back, and so was Brad Hodge, as Steven Smith made way for his countryman.
What made Rajasthan's decision sound even more ridiculous was the fact that Tambe was robbed off playing on a pitch that was a slow and turning one, bound to get slower and assist the spinners more and more as the game progressed.
Rajasthan played just one spinner on such a pitch—the inexperienced all-rounder Sharma. Mumbai played three, including the experience of Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.
The Royals went ahead to lose the toss first, were asked to bat second by Mumbai, and then lost the match by 25 runs, after conceding 178 runs.
A loss in their next two matches, against an in-form Kings XI Punjab and a returning-to-form Mumbai Indians again, could mean them losing out on a top-four finish on net run-rate, provided Kolkata Knight Riders win one of their remaining three games and Royal Challengers win two of their remaining three.
"Whichever XI are there tomorrow, there is a reason why they have been picked," Richardson had said on Sunday.
The Royals can only hope the reason, which is clearly privy only to their think tank, does not prove to be a costly one.
Rajasthan vs. Mumbai, IPL 2014: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info and Preview
May 17, 2014
Rajasthan Royals' bowler Johan Botha, second left, celebrates with teammates the dismissal of Deccan Chargers' Shikhar Dhawan during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match in Hyderabad, India, Friday, May 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A.)
One of the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) top teams faces one of its bottom ones as the Rajasthan Royals welcome the Mumbai Indians to Ahmedabad.
On previous form, and with the Royals firmly in the hunt for a playoff place, it may be a tough game for Mumbai.
Venue: Sardar Patel Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
Date: Monday, May 19
Start time: 11:30 a.m. BST
Live on: Sony Six, Star Sports HD, Star Sports 1 (India), ITV4 (United Kingdom), SuperSport (South Africa), OSN (UAE) SkyTV (New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Channel 9 (Bangladesh), Sportsnet and Omni (Canada), Sports Max (West Indies), Geo Super (Pakistan), Starhub (Singapore).
Weather: According to Weather.com, it promises to be a very hot and sunny day in Ahmedabad, with temperatures peaking at a sweltering 43 degrees Celsius.
Overview
Rajasthan’s push for the playoffs seems to be gathering pace just at the right time, and in their last match, they looked in very good shape as they defeated the Delhi Daredevilsby 62 runs.
The Royals batted first and made 201-6 from their 20 overs, with opener Ajinkya Rahane scoring 64 and Sanju Samson hitting 40 from just 25 balls.
In reply, Delhi were limited to just 139-9 from their 20 overs, with Rajat Bhatia leading the way for the bowlers with 2-18 from three overs.
The Indians batted first but could muster just 141-5 from their 20 overs, with captain Rohit Sharma leading the way with 51 from 45 balls.
In reply, it was all too easy for Kolkata as they sailed to victory for the loss of just four wickets, with Harbhajan Singh’s 2-22 in four overs in vain for Mumbai.
With both teams having very different seasons in the IPL, this game should be easy for Rajasthan, but it will undoubtedly prove to be anything but.
Team News
Rajasthan Royals (from): Shane Watson (capt.), Ajinkya Rahane, Brad Hodge, Sanju Samson, Stuart Binny, Ankush Bains, James Faulkner, Pravin Tambe, Kevon Cooper, Unmukt Chand, Steven Smith, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Iqbal Abdullah, Karun Nair, Vikramjeet Malik, Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Kane Richardson, Dishant Yagnik, Tim Southee, Rahul Tewatia, Ankit Sharma and Amit Mishra.
Rajasthan’s leading spinner remains 42-year-old Tambe, who has once again been enormously consistent this year.
Proving that age is irrelevant, Tambe will once again be the Royals’ biggest threat with the ball.
Rohit Sharma
Mumbai captain Sharma is the lynchpin of their batting and will want to contribute in a big way for his side once again.
It has not been an easy 2014 season for the Indians, but Sharma’s batting remains a bright spot.
Rajasthan Royals vs. Delhi Daredevils, IPL 2014, Highlights, Scorecard, Report
May 15, 2014
Rajasthan Royals batsman Ajinkya Rahane raises his bat and helmet to celebrate scoring a century during their Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore, India, Sunday, April 15, 2012. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
Delhi Daredevils' miserable Indian Premier League season continued as they were beaten by 62 runs by Rajasthan.
The Royals made 201-6 in their 20 overs at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera.
Kevin Pietersen's side could only muster 139-9 in their reply as they suffered their ninth loss in 11 games.
Ajinkya Rahane top-scored with 64 as Rajasthan closed in on a play-off berth after their seventh win of the campaign.
The opener's 50-ball innings featured eight boundaries and a six.
He departed in the 17th over but not before valuable partnerships of 49 with Kevon Cooper (32) and 74 with Sanju Samson (40) who both hit three maximums.
James Faulkner hit consecutive sixes in Rahul Shukla's final over to take RR past 200.
BATSMEN
RUNS
BALLS
SR
4S
6S
Ajinkya Rahane
b Shahbaz Nadeem
64
50
128.00
8
1
Karun Nair
lbw Shahbaz Nadeem
19
14
135.71
1
1
Kevon Cooper
c Rahul Shukla b JP Duminy
32
16
200.00
2
3
Sanju Samson
c Kedar Jadhav b Imran Tahir
40
25
160.00
2
3
Stuart Binny
st Dinesh Karthik b Imran Tahir
0
2
0.00
0
0
Ben Cutting
run out (Rahul Shukla)
8
6
133.33
0
1
James Faulkner
NOT OUT
23
8
287.50
0
3
EXTRAS
(nb 1, w 4, lb 10)
15
BOWLER
O
M
R
W
ECON
DOTS
JP Duminy
3
0
25
1
8.33
3
Rahul Shukla
4
0
44
0
11.00
8
Siddarth Kaul
3
0
34
0
11.33
5
Shahbaz Nadeem
4
0
35
2
8.75
8
Imran Tahir
4
0
25
2
6.25
7
Manoj Tiwary
2
0
28
0
14.00
3
Pietersen promoted himself to the top of the order but was lucky that the umpire missed a clear run out. He could not take advantage of the reprieve, however, making 13 off 18 balls before being bowled by Rajat Bhatia's slower ball.
Delhi's top run scorer in the tournament, JP Duminy, only contributed eight and fellow import Ross Taylor four before becoming Bhatia's second victim.
Manoj Tiwary top-scored with an unbeaten 61, but he received precious little support from his struggling team-mates.
BATSMEN
RUNS
BALLS
SR
4S
6S
Kevin Pietersen
b Rajat Bhatia
13
18
72.22
1
0
Mayank Agarwal
c Steve Smith b James Faulkner
17
10
170.00
3
0
Dinesh Karthik
c Ben Cutting b Dhawal Kulkarni
3
8
37.50
0
0
JP Duminy
c Karun Nair b Pravin Tambe
8
8
100.00
0
1
Manoj Tiwary
NOT OUT
61
44
138.63
5
2
Ross Taylor
c & b Rajat Bhatia
4
5
80.00
0
0
Kedar Jadhav
run out (Ben Cutting)
3
3
100.00
0
0
Shahbaz Nadeem
b Ben Cutting
1
4
25.00
0
0
Imran Tahir
b Stuart Binny
4
6
66.66
1
0
Rahul Shukla
c Steve Smith b Kevon Cooper
14
12
116.66
2
0
Siddarth Kaul
NOT OUT
2
2
100.00
0
0
EXTRAS
(w 6, lb 3)
9
BOWLER
O
M
R
W
ECON
DOTS
Dhawal Kulkarni
4
1
24
1
6.00
10
Ben Cutting
4
0
31
1
7.75
9
James Faulkner
1
0
6
1
6.00
3
Kevon Cooper
3
0
19
1
6.33
8
Pravin Tambe
3
0
24
1
8.00
2
Rajat Bhatia
3
0
18
2
6.00
7
Stuart Binny
2
0
14
1
7.00
4
Delhi occupy bottom spot in the standings and are facing the wooden spoon for the second consecutive season.
IPL Points Table 2014: Latest Standings, Fixtures, Top Batsmen and Bowlers
May 12, 2014
Australia's batsman James Faulkner plays a shot during their ICC Twenty20 Cricket World Cup match against West Indies' in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Friday, March 28, 2014. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)
The Rajasthan Royals cemented their place in the top four of the Indian Premier League on Sunday with a superb five-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore. Shane Watson’s side chased down an imposing 190 with six balls to spare thanks to weighty contributions from Karun Nair, Steve Smith and James Faulkner.
RCB looked to have set themselves up for victory, as 58 from AB de Villiers and 83 off just 38 balls from Yuvraj Singh took them to 190 off their 20 overs. However, 56 from Nair at the top of the Rajasthan innings and some tremendous hitting from Smith and Faulkner got the Royals over the line.
Faulkner produced 41 off just 17 balls, whilst his compatriot just outdid him with 48 from 21 as they both finished not out.
The Royals had been in third place in the table before the win and remain there following it. However, they are now just two points behind Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings at the top of the league.
Despite their impressive batting line-up of Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, de Villiers and Yuvraj, RCB have now lost three on the bounce, and their hopes of reaching the semi-finals are dwindling. They now sit in sixth place in the table with just six points from eight games.
Match 36 of the 2014 IPL sees Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Mumbai Indians on Monday afternoon. The Sunrisers can move into fourth place with a win, whilst Mumbai are desperate for points having won just two of their first eight contests.
Team
Played
Won
Lost
Tied
Points
Kings XI Punjab
9
7
2
0
14
Chennai Super Kings
9
7
2
0
14
Rajasthan Royals
9
6
3
0
12
Kolkata Knight Riders
9
4
5
0
8
Sunrisers Hyderabad
8
4
4
0
8
Royal Challengers Bangalore
9
3
6
0
6
Mumbai Indians
8
2
6
0
4
Delhi Daredevils
9
2
7
0
4
Match No.
Home Team
Away Team
Date/Time
36
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Mumbai Indians
12/05/2014 3.30 p.m. BST
37
Chennai Super Kings
Rajasthan Royals
13/05/2014 11.30 a.m. BST
38
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Delhi Daredevils
13/05/2014 3.30 p.m. BST
39
Sunrisers Hyderabad
Kings XI Punjab
14/05/2014 11.30 a.m. BST
40
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians
14/05/2014 3.30 p.m. BST
41
Rajasthan Royals
Delhi Daredevils
15/05/2014 3.30 p.m. BST
42
Chennai Super Kings
Royal Challengers Bangalore
18/05/2014 11.30 a.m. BST
Top Batsmen
Rarely has a question been easier to answer: Who has been the best batsman during the 2014 IPL? The only possible response is Glenn Maxwell. The Aussie leads the way in runs scored, number of sixes, highest individual score and highest average strike rate.
It has been a masterclass of T20 batting so far this season from the Kings XI Punjab star, a huge factor in his side sitting atop the IPL after 35 matches.
His chief competitor in the best batsman stakes is Dwayne Smith, who is also enjoying an excellent run of form. The Chennai Super Kings' hitter is second to Maxwell in runs scored (396) and directly behind the Aussie in sixes hit (27).
Maxwell still has a long way to go if he is to beat the IPL record for most runs in a season. This is currently jointly held by Chris Gayle and Michael Hussey, who each managed 733 runs in a single campaign. However, if he can continue to produce the spectacular form he has managed thus far and the Kings XI reach the final, then records could be shattered.
Top Bowlers
The bowling department is much less clear-cut than the batting, with a number of players shining with the ball. However, edging the debate at the moment is Bhuvneshwar Kumar of Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Kumar may be level at the top of the wickets column with Mohit Sharma, but both his average and his economy rate are significantly better. In fact, he has the best average in the tournament at 11.53, whilst his economy rate is only behind Ravi Rampaul's at 5.49.
Sharma does deserve plenty of credit for his 15 wickets, though. As does Pravin Tambe, who at the age of 42 has burst onto the scene, claiming 14 wickets for Rajasthan thus far, including a hat-trick against KKR.
Also likely to have a significant say in matters is Lasith Malinga of the Mumbai Indians. The Sri Lankan had 13 wickets to his name prior to Match 36 on Monday, and as the IPL's all-time leading wicket-taker, it would be a huge surprise were he not to be right up there come the end of the season.
