IPL 2018: AB De Villiers blitz takes Royal Challengers Bangalore to 205/8 vs Chennai Super Kings

AB De Villiers was at his explosive best as the Proteas batsman scored his 25th Indian Premier League (IPL) fifty to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to a competitive total against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday

There are a select few against whom it’s difficult to pull off plans and strategies when they’re on song. And even the best in the business fail to lay traps for them. (HIGHLIGHTS)

AB De Villiers scored a quickfire fifty for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL 2018 match against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday. (BCCI)

It was in the 11th over when Royal Challengers Bangalore’s AB de Villiers guided a fine reverse-sweep off Imran Tahir down to the third-man boundary before sweeping one over long-leg for a gigantic six. As the ball made its way back from the crowd, Mahendra Singh Dhoni walked up to Tahir, arms around the latter’s shoulders and walked up to the bowler’s mark instructing him on how to stop the hammering belted out against him. (SCORECARD)

The next ball went out of the stadium.

Coming in at No 3 after Virat Kohli fell for 18, de Villiers plundered the Chennai Super Kings bowling attack as he reached his half-century off just 23 deliveries. It took him five balls to get off the mark but he did it in some style as he heaved one over long-on against Harbhajan Singh. He then followed it up with yet another six and a boundary off the very over as he got on song.

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Dhoni had introduced Ravindra Jadeja in the very next over but even he received a similar treatment. The crowd, which had fallen dead silent after Kohli walked back, was up on their feet once again. With Quinton de Kock going strong at the other end, de Villiers then completed his half-century in an equally explosive manner as he struck three consecutive sixes off Shardul Thakur to reach the half-century mark and also become the leading run-getter of this edition of the Indian Premier League.

The Proteas batsman was finally dismissed by Imran Tahir after making a 30-ball-68.