Royal Challengers Bangalore set up an all southern final against the Chennai Super Kings after a 43-run IPL play-off win over Mumbai Indians.

Chris Gayle was the star yet again, smashing 89 off 46 balls in a 113-run opening stand with Mayank Agarwal (41) to lead Bangalore to 185 for four.

In reply, Mumbai failed to get going despite a valiant 40 from skipper Sachin Tendulkar, as his counterpart Daniel Vettori picked up figures of three for 19.

Sreenath Aravind and Jamaluddin Mohammad chipped in with two wickets each as Mumbai finished well short on 142 for eight, sending Bangalore to their second IPL final.

Bangalore were put into bat and it was Gayle’s show for most of the first innings, which he started by thrashing 20 off the first over before Agarwal joined in.

The West Indian reached 52 in 27 balls, but Agarwal could not make the most of a dropped chance, caught by Rohit Sharma off Kieron Pollard.

Gayle carried on regardless and was only robbed of a century by James Franklin’s superb running catch as Mumbai fought back with two more wickets to trash hopes of a 200-plus score.

Still, AB de Villiers (21) and Saurabh Tiwary (eight) managed 28 together inside the last four overs to stretch Bangalore’s total.

And they put Mumbai under early pressure in the chase, Aravind dismissing opener Aiden Blizzard (10) and pinch-hitter Harbhajan Singh (13).

Tendulkar had kept his nerve so far and built 40 off 24 balls but was left stumped off Jamaluddin and Bangalore took further control as Vettori got his treble in successive overs around the halfway mark.

Franklin failed to build on his start and was bowled by Zaheer Khan before Malinga’s departure to Jamaluddin, with the 68 required off 18 deliveries proving impossible in the end.