Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 33rd Match - Live Cricket Score, Commentary

Been a treat as ever to bring you another special AB innings. The action now moves to Sharjah where CSK have already lost a wicket against DC. Make sure to check out our coverage on that tab. That's it from us here. It's a goodbye from Sagar Chawla on behalf of Kumar Abhisekh Das, Sriram, Pradeep Krishnamurthy, Raju Peethala and Siva.

AB, Player of the Match: Extremely happy. Lost for words. Thought we didn't bowl well to be honest. Leaked a little bit; did some silly things. Couple of no balls which Yuzi doesn't often do. Could've chased 15-20 less. Always tough at the halfway going in the changeroom feeling like that. But Virat and I spoke about it, the need to reset. Very very nervous, and erratic and all sorts of funny stuff (his mind in those pressure situations). I try to hide it. I get very stressed. I'm proud of my performances. Want to perform for my team. have an impact and that's winning games. Want to show owners I'm here for a good reason. Family watching, fans, all those things play a big part. Last game I didn't play well, didn't perform my role as well as I should have. Happy to have done that in this game. Never think about it like that (bowler being under pressure facing him). I try and impose myself. Show that I'm present. Show that I'm going to stick to my gameplans and if they don't get me out I'm going to be a threat. It's a cat and mouse game. A game of chess, whatever you want to call it. I always respect the bowlers. If they bowl well to me, they'll have the upper hand. I'm going to do everything I can in my ability to turn the tide. And luckily for me that worked today. Honestly I didn't hit any one of them in the middle, but close enough to the middle. There was a very big boundary to the leg-side when Unadkat was bowling. I was very worried because I knew I had to hit them well. Luckily I did hit a couple well and got him off his gameplan and made him nervous there at the end. We got some important runs before the last over. We've had some good games, have had some average games as well. So we're not going to kid ourselves. We're not on top of the ladder, and there's a reason for that. We've been a bit inconsistent. But we've had six really good games in this tournament so far. There's a lot to hold onto. Lot to be positive about. We'll keep building on that and hopefully come back stronger next game.

Kohli: Importance has been getting points on board. You can see the way the team has played so far, it's all about individuals stepping up when the team needs them the most. We've been able to do that in this tournament. Good reason why we sit on 12 points. Was a very important game because it's three days now till we play again. Very very happy right now. If we have to be honest, you are tense because you're not sure how many balls he will face (AB). When he's hitting them so well, things from the other end can be very different. Credit to Gurkeerat too, he struck a very important boundary. Stayed in there with AB. But when he plays like that you want him to face every ball, no offence. Good reason why. You saw what he can do in the end. Doesn't matter who the bowler is; you can have the best bowlers in the world in the opposition and he does what he does. Always bats by situation. He always looks at the team situation and adapts his game accordingly. In my eyes, he's the most impactful match-winner in the IPL. When he goes the opposition knows they've got a slim chance. Purely because of the presence of that man in the middle the opposition feels we're not out of the game. I don't know what's the talk is on the outside. Our gameplan is pretty clear. We've been following a set pattern. If you look at performances from the top four-five batsmen, it's been a spread of responsibility taken up. Young Dev has come in and has batted beautifully. Finchy has made an impact at the top. Our opening partnership has given us starts. Those things are very crucial. I know people like to look at things in a different light. But within the team environment the dynamics are very different; we understand what we need to do as a side and we stick to those plans. The bowling has stepped up this season. You're going to be put under pressure. It's a T20 tournament. Guys have come back strongly when put under pressure. Morris has been outstanding since the time he came in. Just that presence in the field and the confidence he brings. Saini has been brilliant. Chahal. Isuru has bowled well. Washi has been brilliant for us. We've been able to strike a nice balance.

Steve Smith: Sure is a tough pill to swallow. It was a pretty special innings on a pretty slow wicket. In a different league. Very disappointing as we played really well for a majority of the game. Two games in a row now that we were in the box seat and had our chances to win. It was a pretty good score on a slowish wicket if we would have squeezed well and would have been able to take wickets. We could have bowled a few dot balls and built the pressure which we did really well till a special innings took it away from us and take RCB home. We wanted to use JD for the bigger boundary as he bowls that slower ball into the wicket. Obviously it wasn't big enough for AB. We thought of using Jofra but unfortunately it didn't work as I went the other way. Nice to spend a little bit of time in the middle as I haven't been able to do that. Hopefully I can keep going on from there.

17:41 Local Time, 13:41 GMT, 19:11 IST: Kohli comes out and gives de Villiers a hug. The game was slipping away from RCB there, with 35 needed off the final two overs. And then we saw it again. The magic of AB de Villiers. It took him three balls to flip the game on its head, smashing a hat-trick of sixes off Jaydev Unadkat who didn't have answers to the greatness in front of him. Maybe Smith could've bowled Archer in that penultimate over. But it's hard to say if it would've made a difference. The total from Rajasthan was a very respectable one on a pitch that's slowing down all the time. It was probably even above par. And the difficulty was certainly reflected from the partnership between Kohli and Padikkal. But de Villiers came to the rescue, transcending conditions again like he did in Sharjah.

Most 50s scored of 25 or fewer balls (IPL):
12 D Warner/ AB de Villiers
7 C Gayle/ K Pollard
6 V Sehwag

Akh: This is basic captaincy, bowl your best bowler in the 19th and try to kill the game or at least give a decent total to defend.

Jofra Archer to de Villiers, SIX, and he does it. Big fist pump from AB de Villiers who continues to just make a mockery of the challenges in front of him. Full on leg stump, swipes it over deep midwicket. Brings up fifty as well but that's merely a minor detail in this great innings - another one - that we've witnessed

Jofra Archer to de Villiers, 2 runs, full at the stumps, not a yorker but not a length that AB can get under either. Toe-ends it to long-on and runs back for two

Jofra Archer to Gurkeerat Singh, 1 run, sharp bouncer around the head, Gurkeerat gets into a tangle after being rushed by pace. Miscues the pull to square leg

Mid-off inside the ring, Third man, fine leg both back

Jofra Archer to Gurkeerat Singh, 2 runs, low full toss at the stumps, Gurkeerat shuffles across and flicks in the air through square leg. They'll get back for two

Sakshar: 19th over from Unadkat. When you have one left from Archer. Strange captaincy from Smith

Ravindra: I feel penultimate over is important than the final one. Why bowl 19th over with Undakat when you have an over left for Jofra?

Jofra Archer [3.0-0-27-0] is back into the attack

Unadkat to Gurkeerat Singh, 1 run, full outside off, driven square through point. They're kept to a single. Archer will have 10 to defend off the final one

Unadkat to Gurkeerat Singh, FOUR, slower short ball outside off, Gurkeerat slaps it over extra cover. 24 off the over and still a ball left. Should it have been Archer for this all-important 19th one?

Unadkat to Gurkeerat Singh, wide, too high? Slower bouncer that's on the descent after climbing up really high. Still over the head. Right call

Unadkat to de Villiers, 1 run, now Unadkat gets the yorker right outside off. AB can only squeeze it for a single through cover

Unadkat to de Villiers, SIX, now he goes shorter, but it's only around the waist and it goes for six again. This is just crazy hitting. To get it right off the screws under this kind of pressure is pure AB. Pulls it away, just clears deep backward square

Unadkat to de Villiers, SIX, six more. Another slower ball, another six. Right in the slot this time from Unadkat. AB goes big over long-on. That previous ball, the length was still better. It was shorter. This one's right under the bat

Unadkat to de Villiers, SIX, serious pressure now on Unadkat. His most reliable weapon - the slower off-cutter - has been smoked over midwicket. AB clears the front leg and brings the equation down to 29 off 11

Kartik Tyagi to de Villiers, 1 run, excellent from Tyagi. Holds his nerves and nails the wide yorker. AB was anticipating that length. He moved around in the crease for his trademark sweep, but the line made it difficult. So he adjusts and bunts it into the off-side. Top over under pressure