Chennai, May 27: Royal Challenger Bangalore tonight romped into the finals of the Indian Premier League by thrashing hapless Mumbai Indians by 43 runs in what turned out to be a rather lopsided second play-off here.
Put into bat, RCB rode on Chris Gayle's blistering 89 to post an imposing 185/4 and then put up a clinical bowling display to restrict Mumbai to 142/8 and set up a summit clash with defending champions Chennai Super Kings tomorrow.
RCB, who had lost to Chennai in the first play-off last Tuesday, will now get a chance to avenge the defeat in tomorrow's final at the same venue.Gayle, who has been in rollicking form this season, blasted nine fours and five sixes in his 47-ball innings and shared a 113-run opening partnership with Mayank Agarwal (41) to set up the game for RCB at the MA Chidambaram Stadium here.
Sachin Tendulkar had conjured up hopes of a successful runchase, blasting a 24-ball 40 but once he was dismissed, Mumbai Indians lost the plot completely.Chasing 186 to win, Aiden Blizzard gave Mumbai a positive start hitting Zaheer Khan for a four past mid on in the first ball and picked up another boundary four balls later.
Tendulkar also got into the act and blasted Sreenath Aravind for a couple of four across cover and over square leg boundary as Mumbai moved to 20 for two in two overs.Daniel Vettori then pressed Gayle into the attack and the West Indies allrounder did well to frustrate Blizzard with his offbreak as Aravind dismissed him in the next over when he tried to play a slog shot over long on. PTI
