Royal Challengers Bangalore ensured top spot in the IPL regular-season standings with a comfortable eight-wicket win at home to the Chennai Super Kings.
Chris Gayle’s unbeaten 75 off 50 balls was the key contribution for Bangalore, who will now face whoever finishes second in the IPL table for a first crack at reaching the final in Chennai next Saturday.
The Super Kings, who were only rescued from an embarrassingly low total by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s unbeaten 70, must wait for the outcome of this afternoon’s match between the Kolkata Knight Riders and the Mumbai Indians to see whether they will cling on to second by virtue of net run rate or face an eliminator on Wednesday.
Chennai slumped to 22 for four when Subramaniam Badrinath was bowled by former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori for a 10th-ball duck but they managed to pick things up thanks to the efforts of Dhoni and Wriddhiman Saha (22) to post a total of 128 for eight from their 20 overs.
The visitors lost Australian opener Mike Hussey for just four runs, bowled by Zaheer Khan. Zaheer struck again to remove India team-mate Suresh Raina - also for four - and finished with figures of two for 19.
Vettori, who also took the wicket of Dwayne Bravo, trapping the Trinidadian lbw for five, conceded just 15 runs.
Dhoni carried the Super Kings to respectability, his unbeaten 70 coming off 40 balls and featuring six sixes and three fours but Saha was the only other Chennai player to reach double figures in a dismal effort.
Chennai gained some early encouragement as Ravichandran Ashwin took the wicket of AB de Villiers without a run on the board as the South African edged behind to Dhoni, but former West Indies captain Gayle was on top of his game and blasted six sixes and four fours to steer Bangalore to victory and nicked a single off Raina to seal the win.
He received useful support from Virat Kohli, who struck 31 off 29 balls, and Saurabh Tiwary who scored an unbeaten 13 off 26 balls.
Even if Bangalore lose in their first final qualifier on Tuesday, they will get a second chance to reach the final against the winner of the third/fourth-place eliminator.
Playing eleven:
Royal Challengers Bangalore: CH Gayle, MA Agarwal, V Kohli, AB de Villiers, M Kaif, SS Tiwary, LA Pomersbach, DL Vettori (c), S Aravind, A Mithun, Z Khan
Chennai Super Kings: M Vijay, MEK Hussey, SK Raina, MS Dhoni (c), JA Morkel, S Badrinath, DJ Bravo, WP Saha, R Ashwin, DE Bollinger, SB Jakati