Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan struck half-centuries as Delhi Capitals secured second place and Royal Challengers Bangalore also qualified for the Indian Premier League play-offs despite a six-wicket loss.
The winner of the penultimate match of the regular season at Zayed Cricket Stadium was guaranteed to face Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1 on Thursday and it was Delhi who came out on top.
RCB remain in the hunt for the title, though, progressing as their net run-rate is better than fourth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders finished with.
Sunrisers Hyderabad can seal the final play-off place at the expense of KKR if they beat defending champions Mumbai on Tuesday.
RCB posted 152-7 after being put in, the consistent Devdutt Padikkal making 50 off 41 balls and AB de Villiers 35 from 21 in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
South Africa pacemen Anrich Nortje (3-33) and Kagiso Rabada (2-30) played big hands for the Capitals once again to restrict Virat Kohli’s side to a below-par total.
Dhawan (54 off 41) and Rahane (60 from 46) put on 88 for the second wicket to put the Capitals well on their way to victory.
PROLIFIC PADIKKAL, PROTEAS DUO STAR AGAIN
Padikkal has been one of the shining lights for RCB and the 20-year-old moved above his captain Kohli in the list of leading run-scorers in the 2020 tournament.
The opener matched KL Rahul’s tally of five half-centuries in this year’s competition, hitting five boundaries as he anchored the innings before the excellent Nortje removed his middle stump.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who opened the bowling, had Kohli caught in the deep for 29 off 24 balls and Rahane ran De Villiers out with a great throw in the final over after the wicketkeeper-batsman had cleared the rope twice.
Rabada, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, has two more scalps than Jasprit Bumrah with 25 after dismissing Josh Philippe and Shivam Dube.
DHAWAN AND RAHANE DELIVER
Dhawan has also had an outstanding tournament and only his India team-mate Rahul has scored more runs than him.
The left-hander demonstrated majestic timing and power once again, finding the boundary six times as he and Rahane stepped up when their side needed them.
Rahane’s half-century was his first in six knocks, a timely return to form, and he hit one of only two sixes in the run chase under pressure.
Shahbaz Ahmed saw the back of Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer before Rahane fell to Washington Sundar, but Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis finished it off. (Sportsmax)
