IPL 2016: SEASON 9
A strong Royal Challengers Bangalore overcame a disastrous start to beat Gujarat Lions and romp home in the first semifinal of the Indian Premier League. Virat Kohli had been cruising through in every match, coming up with fifties and centuries but the proverbial laws of average finally caught up with him, Virat Kohli dragging the ball from the off on to his stumps and getting dismissed for a duck. However where Kohli failed, AB de Villiers came to the party, not letting the early setbacks affect him, and instead expertly marshalling the strike, interspersing some heavy blows with some astute running between the wickets, and ending up with an unbeaten 79 off 47 balls, conveying the message to everyone: "What's the fuss all about ?". Royal Challengers Bangalore will also have to thank Iqbal Abdulla for his sensible batting, giving good company to ABD in an unbeaten 91-run partnership for the seventh wicket, before unleashing the daring strokes, hitting Dwayne Bravo for 18 runs in an over near the finishing line. Earlier the Gujarat Lions, through Dwayne Smith's swashbuckling 73 off 41 balls with six sixes, had posted a total of 158, which started looking big once RCB lost early wickets but AB de Villiers saved the day for the Royal Challengers Bangalore who will now play the IPL final in a couple of days.