Kolkata: Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) struggled through to a three-wicket win in their maiden Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter of the eight edition against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) courtesy Chris Gayle, who scored a blistering 96 from 56 deliveries.
Sent in to bat, Kolkata Knight Riders put up a formidable total on the scoreboard 177/6, with skipper Gautam Gambhir top scoring with 58 ably supported by a 17-ball unbeaten 41 from West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell at the Eden Gardens.
In reply, Gayle hammered the KKR bowling all around the park and helped his side reach the target with six balls to spare. He was ably supported by South African De Villiers who scored 28 of 13 deliveries.