The Albany Gazette - Roy and Rana help Kolkata revive IPL campaign

Roy's 56 -- his second successive half-century -- and a 21-ball 48 by Rana guided two-time champions Kolkata to 200-5 after they were put in to bat first in Bengaluru.

Leg-spinner Varun Chakravarthy took 3-27 as Kolkata's bowlers restricted Bangalore to 179-8, snapping their four-match losing streak in the tournament.

Kolkata climbed a spot to seventh in the 10-team table with the money-spinning league now past the midway stage and teams jostling for four play-off places.

Venkatesh Iyer pulled off a brilliant low catch in the outfield to dismiss Virat Kohli for 54 and silence the home crowd.

Kohli, who led Bangalore for a third straight game with regular captain Faf du Plessis playing as an impact sub due to a rib injury, had attempted to get the chase going in his 37-ball knock.

Bangalore's batting faltered after the in-form Du Plessis fell for 17 following two sixes and Australian big-hitter Glenn Maxwell went for five.

Kolkata set a daunting target as Roy, who smashed five sixes in his 29-ball blitz, put on an opening stand of 83 with Narayan Jagadeesan (27).

The two departed in the same over only for Rana and Iyer (31) to form a another destructive partnership of 80 for the third wicket.

Sri Lanka's Wanindu Hasaranga sent back the left-handed duo of Rana and Iyer in the 18th over as he returned figures of 2-24.

But Bangalore's attempt to stem the flow of runs failed as Rinku Singh clubbed an unbeaten 18 off 10 balls and Namibia's David Wiese made 12 off just three deliveries.

(A.Berg--BBZ)