Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) registered an emphatic ten-wicket over Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) to stay in contention for a place in the IPL 2018 playoffs. The win takes RCB’s tally to ten points from 12 matches. This is RCB’s second consecutive win. Chasing a paltry target of 89 runs, RCB openers Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli scored 40 and 48 respectively. The pair cautiously put nine runs for Bangalore in the first over. They, however, switched gears from the next over, accumulating 25 runs off the subsequent couple of overs, with the visitor's scorecard reading 36/0. They soon took their side past the 50-run mark in 4.5 overs as each of the Punjab bowlers struggled to get a breakthrough. Later, riding on some lusty hits by the openers, Bangalore hunted down the target in just 8.1 overs with 10 wickets in hand. IPL 2018 Points Table

Earlier, Bangalore put up a spirited show on the field to bundle out Kings XI Punjab for a paltry 88 -- the second lowest total of this season. Pacer Umesh Yadav (3/23) starred with the ball and was well complemented by the fielders affecting three run-outs as only three of the Punjab batsmen could manage to reach double figures on a flat track.

Put in to bat, the hosts squandered a decent 36-run opening start from Lokesh Rahul (21 off 15 balls; 6x3) and Chris Gayle (18 off 14, 4x4) before losing both the openers in the fifth over of the innings. You can watch video highlights of KXIP vs RCB here.

Umesh could have got RCB a dream start had stumper Parthiv held on to Gayle's nick in the very first over, but the bowler had the last laugh when he dismissed both the openers in the fifth over off similar deliveries.

While Rahul was caught by Colin de Grandhomme at the deep square leg, Gayle went out off a top edge caught by Mohammed Siraj at the same position two balls later. Siraj immediately joined the party with the wicket of No.3 Karun Nair (1) brilliantly caught by skipper Kohli at slip before Australians Aaron Finch (26) and Marcus Stonis (2) joined forces.

But the tourists were in no mood to let the Aussies settle down as leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal broke through the defence of Stoinis. Finch curbed his natural instincts for a patient knock but found the going tough against the disciplined RCB bowlers before eventually losing his wicket to off-spinner Moeen Ali.

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin (0) departed the very next ball, thanks to a brilliant throw from Pawan Negi as the home side tottered at 78/7 after 12 overs. Coming back for his final over, Umesh removed Andrew Tye for a duck before RCB effected two more run-outs of tailenders Mohit Sharma (3) and Ankit Rajpoot (1) to end Punjab's innings in 15.1 overs. (With IANS inputs)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 14, 2018 11:42 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).