Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) won on Wednesday in the 39th match of the 13th season of IPL. Bengaluru overcame Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) challenge by 8 wickets in Abu Dhabi. RCB scored 85/2 runs in 13.3 overs and achieved the modest target of victory. The hero of RCB's victory was swing bowler Mohammad Siraj (4-2-8-3), who broke Kolkata's back. Bengaluru now need just one win for the play-offs.

This was the 7th win by Royal Challengers Bangalore and they are now in second place in the points table after scoring 14 points in 10 matches. The Delhi Capitals (DC) team also has 14 points, but based on better net run rate, it remains on top. Mumbai Indians (MI) is at the third position with 12 points.

Chasing a small target of 85 runs, the Bangalore team lost the first wicket on a score of 46 when Aaron Finch (16) was beaten by Loki Ferguson. Dinesh Karthik caught the catch behind the wicket. On this score, Devdutt Paddikal (25) was run out. After this, captain Virat Kohli (18 not out) and Gurkeerat Singh Mann (21 not out) took the team to victory.

RCB's batting like this

RCB openers Devdutt Paddikal (25 off 17 balls) and Aaron Finch (16 off 21 balls) did not show any haste. He scored runs easily. In Powerplay, the score was 44 runs without any loss.

KKR in powerplay

This is the fifth consecutive match when KKR failed to take wickets in the powerplay. KKR handed the ball to Ferguson after the power play and he caught Finch behind the wicket on the second ball. The second opener, Paddikal , was run out in the same over. Gurkeerat Singh (21 not out from 26 balls) and captain Virat Kohli (18 not out from 17 balls) shared an unbroken 39-run partnership to take the team to the target.

KKR halted at 84/8

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stopped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on a score of 84/8 with the bowling of swing bowler Mohammad Siraj. Siraj took 3 wickets for 8 runs in 4 overs. His bowling analysis at one time was 2 overs, 2 maidens, 3 wickets. He was well supported by leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (2 for 15) and off-spinner Washington Sundar (1 for 14).

Only four KKR batsmen reached double digits. Captain Eoin Morgan scored 30 runs from his side. After him, the second highest score was number nine batsman Loki Ferguson (19 not out).

KKR's second lowest score

This is the third time in the IPL, when the KKR team could not reach even triple digits. This is his second lowest score. He scored 67 runs in Mumbai against Mumbai Indians in 2008.

3 maidens in the power play, 17/4 runs

KKR won the toss and chose to bat first, but the RCB pacers did not leave Morgan's decision wrong with the pace and swing coming from the new pitch. Situation was that three overs were maidens in the power play, only 17 runs scored and four batsmen returned to the pavilion. This is KKR's lowest score in Powerplay. Earlier, he scored 21 for 3 against Deccan Chargers in Cape Town in 2009.

Siraj sent Rahul Tripathi and Nitish Rana to the pavilion in the second over, while Navdeep Saini punished Shubman Gill for playing the wrong shot. The score is 3 runs for 3 wickets. Tom Benton (10) hit a four and a six on Navdeep Saini, but in the next over of Siraj, he gave an easy catch to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.

IPL: Siraj 2 maiden first bowler

Siraj scored his first two overs and took three wickets. Siraj became the first bowler to do two maidens in IPL history.