IPL 2018: SRH put one foot in play-offs after inflicting damaging defeat on RCB

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SRH put one foot in the 2018 IPL play-offs after beating RCB by five runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Monday. 

Continuing their great bowling performance this season, the SRH bowlers combined beautifully to restrict Virat Kohli's RCB - needing 147 to win - to 141/6 in 20 overs and register their eighth win in 10 games.

Colin de Grandhomme (33) and Mandeep Singh (21*) added 57 for the sixth wicket to provide some scare but their effort eventually went in vain as RCB suffered their seventh defeat in 10 games to be virtually out of play-off contention. 

SRH had successfully defended 132 and 118 earlier in the season and they yet again proved their bowling prowess. Shakib Al Hasan took two wickets to be the pick of the bowlers for SRH. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Rashid Khan took one wicket each. 

In desperate need of a win, RCB, however, had taken the first step right in their quest to stay alive when they bowled out SRH for an average total.

After choosing to bowl first, RCB's bowlers were equal to the task.

Mohammed Siraj (3/25), Tim Southee (3/30), Umesh Yadav (1/36), Yuzvendra Chahal (1/25) joined hands to suffocate a powerful batting unit like SRH for the large part of their innings.

SRH captain Kane Williamson was the only batsman who could confidently stand up to the visiting bowlers. Williamson scored his fifth fifty of the season - first batsman to do so in IPL 2018 - and during the course of his 39-ball 56 he also became only the second batsman to score 400 or more after Chennai's Ambati Rayudu.

Shakib contributed 35 but he scoffed 32 balls and was under the pump throughout his stay at the crease.   

Southee started it all with the wicket of Alex Hales (5). Shortly after Siraj accounted for Shikhar Dhawan (13) and then Chahal took his first wicket in four games dispatching Manish Pandey for 5. The damage was done. 

Despite a 64-run partnership between Williamson and Shakib, SRH could only go as far as 146 all out in 20 overs.

Things looked ominous at that stage for SRH but as it turned out their bowlers yet again came to their rescue.