IPL 2015, Match 52, SRH vs RCB: As it happened...

New Delhi: Virat Kohli played through the innings to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a rain-curtailed match. Chris Gayle played a blistering knock at the top help set up the run chase for RCB.

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RCB Innings

Over 6 | Score 83/4

Bhuvi bowled the last over of the match. Despite Karthik's run out on the 2nd ball, Kohli held his nerve to take RCB to the finish line with two 4s and a six.

Karthik run out 2 (2b)

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Over 5 | Score 68/3

Praveen Kumar came on to bowl the penultimate over of the match. Mandeep hit PK's leg-side full toss straight into the hands of deep square leg. Kohli then pummeled a length delivery from the pacer over cow corner for a six.

Mandeep Singh c Morgan b P Kumar 1 (3b)

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Over 4 | Score 58/2

Karn Sharma was introduced into the attack by Warner. Kohli danced down the track and lofted the leg-spinner's delivery over mid-on for a much-needed six.

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Over 3 | Score 44/2

Henriques came on to bowl and turned the match on its head. He first dismissed Gayle and then got rid off AB de Villiers on the very next ball. RCB are suddenly in a spot of bother. Mandeep is the new man in.

AB de Villiers c Steyn b Henriques 0 (1b)

Gayle c Dhawan b Henriques 35 (10b)

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Over 2 | Score 41/0

Bhuvi bowled the second over for SRH. Gayle absolutely destroyed him with a blistering attack. 

4 4 0 6 2 6

Hyderabad has been officially hit by a Gayle Storm!

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Over 1 | Score 17/0

Dale Steyn opened the bowling attack for SRH. RCB openers Gayle and Kohli attacked the South African from the word go, scoring 17 runs off that over. The West Indian clobbered the first two deliveries from the pacer for a four and six. Kohli got into the act with another boundary in the mid-wicket region.

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Due to another rain delay, the match has now been shortened again. RCB need 81 in 6 overs

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SRH Innings

Over 11 | 135/3

Final over of the innings was bowled by Starc. Eoin Morgan danced down the track and clobbered the ball straight back over the bowler's head for a six. The pacer dismissed the left-hander on his last delivery as Morgan holed out at long-off. 

​Morgan c Mandeep Singh b Starc 11 (7b)

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Over 10 | Score 125/2

Wiese came on to bowl the penultimate over of the SRH innings. Warner welcomed him with boundary that flew off his bat, past the keeper. The Aussie got to his fifty with a single on the very next ball. Wiese soon exacted revenge by dismissing Moises. The right-hander edged a slower delivery straight to the keeper. Eoin Morgan is the new man in.

Henriques c Karthik b Wiese 57 (22b)

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Over 9 | Score 117/1

Chahal came on to bowl his second over. Warner played an incredible switch hit to the leg-spinner's delivery over deep deep point for six. Henriques capped off another productive over by clobbering another massive six over long-on to get to is fifty. Well played!

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Over 8 | Score 100/1

Kohli brought Starc back into the attack to stem the flow of runs. The left-arm pacer's full toss was hit past cover for four by Warner.

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Over 7 | Score 89/1

Moises is on fire!

The big-hitting Mo punished Harshal Patel, hitting three 4s and one 6 off his second over. 21 runs came off the 6 balls from the pacer. The momentum is clearly with SRH.

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Over 6 | Score 68/1

Dinda was treated to the full fury off Henriques' bat. The right-hander, who is in red-hot form, smoked a four and then a massive six off the pacer. Another productive over for the home side.

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Over 5 | Score 50/1

Spin was introduced for the first time in the match as Yuzvendra Chahal came on to bowl. It turned out to be the best over of the match so fat for the batting side as 17 runs were scored off it. Henriques in particular was severe on the leg-spinner, clobbering him for a six and four on the last two balls of the over.

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Over 4 | Score 33/1

Ashok Dinda, bowling in his first IPL match of the season, bowled a tidy first over to keep pressure on the SRH duo, giving only 6 runs.

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Over 3 | Score 27/1

Wiese came into the attack and got rid off the dangerous Dhawan as he was caught at mid-on. Moises Henriques came out to bat after SRH lost their first wicket.

Dhawan c Dinda b Wiese 8 (7b)

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Over 2 | Score 15/0

Harshal Patel tried to continue from where Starc left off in the previous over. However, Warner had other ideas as he muscled the last ball of the over to long-off boundary to score his first four of the innings.

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Over 1 | Score 6/0

Mitchell Starc bowled a wonderful first over to get things started off in this crucial encounter. David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan managed to score just 6 runs in that over.

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Revised playing conditions mean this will be a 11-overs a side match.

Umpires will inspect the pitch again and an update is expected at IST 22:34.

Fair assessment by Mr. Bhogle.

This rain is adding another dimension to a delightfully unpredictable #PepsiIPL. Knockout games beckon! — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) May 15, 2015

This should cheer the fans up.

Rain has stopped and covers coming off #SRHvsRCB pic.twitter.com/oGsQ5YNbHY — Lisa Sthalekar (@sthalekar93) May 15, 2015

Not the most encouraging news coming in from Hyderabad as covers are still on.

Match 52- UPDATE: The covers are on at the moment #SRHvsRCB #IPL pic.twitter.com/wvVrm0KwbK — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 15, 2015

Match 52 - It is raining heavily at the moment #SRHvsRCB #IPL pic.twitter.com/2aZJGSnJcV — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 15, 2015

Downpour Doorway in Hyderabad The Starc swing v Mollydookers Warner/ Dharwan battle will have to wait @IPL #SRHvRCB pic.twitter.com/tOzPJBiAQ5 — Damien Fleming (@bowlologist) May 15, 2015

Toss and team news

SRH have won the toss and will bat first against RCB.

Dale Steyn and Praveen Kumar are back for SRH, while Ashok Dinda comes in place for S Aravind for RCB.

SRH XI: D Warner, S Dhawan, N Ojha, M Henriques, E Morgan, L Rahul, K Sharma, B Sharma, P Kumar, B Kumar, D Steyn

RCB XI: C Gayle, V Kohli, AB de Villiers, M Singh, D Karthik, S Khan, D Wiese, H Patel, M Starc, Y Chahal, A Dinda

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Match Officials for this all-important match are:

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SL), Anil Chaudhary (Ind)
Third Umpire: Krishnaraj Srinath (Ind)
Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama (SL)

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Match preview

The David Warner-led side is on a roll at the business end of the tournament after winning three straight games to be in contention of reaching the final-four. RCB though have run hot and cold after their loss against bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab in a rain-curtailed game yesterday but the Virat Kohli-led side is also in the play-offs race with 6 wins from 12 games.

SRH, with 7 wins and 5 losses, found their rhythm last week against Rajasthan Royals, who are also in the final-four race, when their top-order combined well to help them post 201.

Accused of heavily relying on orange cap holder Warner - leads the run-getter's chart with 504 runs in 12 games, SRH saw Shikhar Dhawan, Moises Henriques and Eoin Morgan score significant runs in the team's 7-run win against RR.

Australian all-rounder Henriques has not only contributed with the bat (a match-winning 74 not out against Delhi Daredvils) but also played his part with the ball (3-16 against Kings XI Punjab) in times of need.

The bowling, led by Trent Boult, has also looked potent with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Praveen Kumar also proving the adequate support. Finding their bearings just in the nick of time, SRH are looking like the dark horses of the tournament.

But RCB can never be counted out in the race as the threat of Chris Gayle always looms large against any opposition when the Vijay Mallya-owned side takes field. Gayle apart, the team also boats of Kohli, AB de Villers and their strike force in Mitchell Starc have all made quite an impact. 

De Villiers' 133 not out is till fresh in everyone's mind after the South African bludgeoned Mumbai Indians bowlers at Wankhede earlier this week to help his side post 235 for one in 20 overs.

In the head-to-head record, SRH enjoy a 3-2 advantage against RCB with the Tom Moody-coached side getting the better of the Bangalore-based outfit in their first clash of this season on April 13.