Live Cricket Score of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Daredevils, 55th Match, IPL 2015

RCB are almost through to the play-offs. There is an outside chance that they can still be knocked out but for that they will have to lose by a huge margin. The bigger worry will be to qualify in the second spot. That equation is straightforward. If RCB lose, they will finish outside the top two but if they win, then they are guaranteed the second spot. The second spot in the play-offs is crucial because it gives the team an extra chance in the play-offs. Stakes still high. RCB will also be wearing the green jersey in their last home outing of the season. Delhi will be playing for pride as there is nothing much left for them. Stay tuned for the toss and teams. The weather has held good for now at Bangalore. We should get a full game in.

Virat Kohli was happy to bowl first. There is some rain expected later in the day and that influenced his decision said the skipper. JP Duminy agreed that he would have liked to bowl first as well. RCB went in unchanged while Angelo Mathews replaced Albie Morkel for Delhi.

Teams:

Delhi Daredevils (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Shreyas Iyer, Jean-Paul Duminy(c), Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Angelo Mathews, Saurabh Tiwary, Jayant Yadav, Shahbaz Nadeem, Zaheer Khan, Gurinder Sandhu

Royal Challengers Bangalore (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Dinesh Karthik(w), Sarfaraz Khan, David Wiese, Harshal Patel, Mitchell Starc, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ashok Dinda

The pitch seems to be on the slower side. Starc and Dinda opened the bowling for RCB. Both bowlers have got some swing going but it definitely seems like the ball is not coming on to the bat. Tough few overs for de Kock and Shreyas Iyer.

After a cautious start, Quinton de Kock has set the ball rolling with a flurry of boundaries. He hit four fours in the last couple of overs while Shreyas Iyer found his groove and hit one thumping square drive as well. It helped that Mitchell Starc was taken off after the first over. Delhi have got their innings going finally. Some thinking for Kohli to do. Maybe time for spin sometime soon?

The fifty-run stand has come up inside the powerplay overs and Delhi have not lost a wicket yet. What's more? Shreyas Iyer and de Kock are looking at home now. Testimony to that will be the way they handled Starc in his second over, the 6th of the match. Iyer went deep in the crease to slice a wide and full delivery over backward point for six. de Kock played an even more nonchalant flick to the mid wicket boundary as Starc strayed in line. Both were shots of men growing in confidence. Both shots spelling out a threat of more to come. RCB looking a little listless and lacking inspiration. Maybe the strategic break will serve its purpose and help RCB regroup.

Did the strategic break help the bowlers? Nope. But it seemed to have broken the batsmen's rhythm. Iyer tried to cut a short and wide delivery from Harshal to the point fence. For a moment it looked like the boundary hoardings will hear a thud but Gayle's massive hands at point intercepted the shot. Fiercely cut, smartly taken by the big man. Something for RCB to smile about finally.

30-ball fifty for the Delhi opener. Smart innings. He's picked the right balls to go after and used his feet well to counter the bowler's lengths. Seems to be thinking a step ahead of the bowler as well. He messed with Harshal Patel's length once previously and smacks two fours and a six off Wiese to get his fifty. Delhi are looking well set now to get a big total. Nice spirit shown.

It was a little surprising to see Gayle bowl ahead of Chahal. Kohli was probably influenced by the fact that there were two left-handers out in the middle. He however had to bring him in the 12th over. Chahal struck immediately with a googly. de Kock did not pick it and got a leading edge that was taken at cover by Kohli. The skipper is pumped up to see the back of de Kock. Falls after a fine 69 off 39 balls.

Another leftie replaces him. Will Yuvraj fire tonight?