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Johannesburg - Jacques Kallis made his highest Twenty20 score in a memorable innings that steered the Bangalore Royal Challengers to an upset nine-wicket thrashing of the Mumbai Indians at the Wanderers on Sunday.
Often called too slow a batsman for the shortest version of the game, Kallis hammered 69 classy runs off 59 balls to take Bangalore to 150 for one and victory with 11 balls to spare.
It was a top-class innings by Kallis and with Robin Uthappa punching 66 not out off 42 balls, the pair added 126 off just 95 balls for the unbroken second wicket.
Kallis started with a flourish as he struck two fours off Zaheer Khan's opening over and hit the bowler of the tournament, Lasith Malinga, for two imperious sixes off his first three balls.
Zaheer had removed Bangalore opener Wasim Jaffer for seven in the third over, but thereafter the seven-strong Mumbai attack failed to remove another batsman.
Kallis was more active in the early stages of his innings, his half-century coming off 39 balls, and he hit five fours and two sixes in all.
Any fears that the Royal Challengers would once again fail to compete in the IPL have been put to rest by this most emphatic victory over the powerful Mumbai Indians, which lifts them to joint first place on eight points, although they have played more matches than the other three teams.
The Mumbai Indians obviously missed the services of Zaheer in the closing stages, the left-armer leaving the field with a shoulder injury.
Earlier, South African Dillon du Preez made a top-class IPL debut, claiming three early wickets as the Bangalore Royal Challengers restricted the Mumbai Indians to 149 for four.
A shellshocked Mumbai innings was rebuilt by a crucial half-century by veteran Sanath Jayasuriya and a quickfire, unbeaten 50 by West Indian Dwayne Bravo that gave his team a strong finish.
The 27-year-old Du Preez, uncapped by South Africa because he is a Kolpak player with Leicestershire, dispelled any doubts about how he would fare on the international stage as he claimed three wickets without conceding a run with his first eight balls.
The Diamond Eagles star used swing to claim his wickets, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (11) driving from the crease at a delivery that moved away, Rahul Dravid claiming a sharp catch at slip. Young Ajinkya Rahane then edged a drive low to Anil Kumble at first slip off the next ball.
Du Preez was unable to do the hat-trick, but he won his tussle with fellow South African JP Duminy (1), the left-hander edging a rash pull low to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Jayasuriya, as one would expect, kept a cool head even though Mumbai were 23 for three, and took responsibility for rebuilding the innings.
He and Bravo put on 60 off 53 balls, before Abhishek Nayar activated the late charge as he belted four fours in his 29 not out off 20 balls.
Du Preez returned to bowl the final over, but seemed to struggle with not knowing whether to have fine leg or mid-off up in the circle and conceded 16 runs off the over to finish with three for 32.
Bravo also changed into top gear to reach his half-century off just 40 balls, including two sixes.
Roelof van der Merwe bowled his first two overs for nine runs, and claimed the wicket of Jayasuriya, but events did not follow the programme thereafter for the young South African spinner as the West Indian all-rounder hit the last two balls of the 19th over for six as 18 runs came off the over.
Praveen Kumar was the other bowler to impress, starting the innings with a maiden and conceding just 15 runs off his next two overs.
Teams:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: W Jaffer, JH Kallis, RV Uthappa, R Dravid, V Kohli, MV Boucher (wk), RE van der Merwe, D du Preez, P Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, A Kumble (captain)
Mumbai Indians: ST Jayasuriya, SR Tendulkar (captain), S Dhawan, JP Duminy, DJ Bravo, AM Rahane, AM Nayar, PR Shah (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, SL Malinga
Often called too slow a batsman for the shortest version of the game, Kallis hammered 69 classy runs off 59 balls to take Bangalore to 150 for one and victory with 11 balls to spare.
It was a top-class innings by Kallis and with Robin Uthappa punching 66 not out off 42 balls, the pair added 126 off just 95 balls for the unbroken second wicket.
Kallis started with a flourish as he struck two fours off Zaheer Khan's opening over and hit the bowler of the tournament, Lasith Malinga, for two imperious sixes off his first three balls.
Zaheer had removed Bangalore opener Wasim Jaffer for seven in the third over, but thereafter the seven-strong Mumbai attack failed to remove another batsman.
Kallis was more active in the early stages of his innings, his half-century coming off 39 balls, and he hit five fours and two sixes in all.
Any fears that the Royal Challengers would once again fail to compete in the IPL have been put to rest by this most emphatic victory over the powerful Mumbai Indians, which lifts them to joint first place on eight points, although they have played more matches than the other three teams.
The Mumbai Indians obviously missed the services of Zaheer in the closing stages, the left-armer leaving the field with a shoulder injury.
Earlier, South African Dillon du Preez made a top-class IPL debut, claiming three early wickets as the Bangalore Royal Challengers restricted the Mumbai Indians to 149 for four.
A shellshocked Mumbai innings was rebuilt by a crucial half-century by veteran Sanath Jayasuriya and a quickfire, unbeaten 50 by West Indian Dwayne Bravo that gave his team a strong finish.
The 27-year-old Du Preez, uncapped by South Africa because he is a Kolpak player with Leicestershire, dispelled any doubts about how he would fare on the international stage as he claimed three wickets without conceding a run with his first eight balls.
The Diamond Eagles star used swing to claim his wickets, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar (11) driving from the crease at a delivery that moved away, Rahul Dravid claiming a sharp catch at slip. Young Ajinkya Rahane then edged a drive low to Anil Kumble at first slip off the next ball.
Du Preez was unable to do the hat-trick, but he won his tussle with fellow South African JP Duminy (1), the left-hander edging a rash pull low to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Jayasuriya, as one would expect, kept a cool head even though Mumbai were 23 for three, and took responsibility for rebuilding the innings.
He and Bravo put on 60 off 53 balls, before Abhishek Nayar activated the late charge as he belted four fours in his 29 not out off 20 balls.
Du Preez returned to bowl the final over, but seemed to struggle with not knowing whether to have fine leg or mid-off up in the circle and conceded 16 runs off the over to finish with three for 32.
Bravo also changed into top gear to reach his half-century off just 40 balls, including two sixes.
Roelof van der Merwe bowled his first two overs for nine runs, and claimed the wicket of Jayasuriya, but events did not follow the programme thereafter for the young South African spinner as the West Indian all-rounder hit the last two balls of the 19th over for six as 18 runs came off the over.
Praveen Kumar was the other bowler to impress, starting the innings with a maiden and conceding just 15 runs off his next two overs.
Teams:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: W Jaffer, JH Kallis, RV Uthappa, R Dravid, V Kohli, MV Boucher (wk), RE van der Merwe, D du Preez, P Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, A Kumble (captain)
Mumbai Indians: ST Jayasuriya, SR Tendulkar (captain), S Dhawan, JP Duminy, DJ Bravo, AM Rahane, AM Nayar, PR Shah (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, SL Malinga
