IPL 2018, Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals, live cricket score: Sanju Samson 92* powers RR to 217/4

Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and the Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) will be looking to build on their first wins of the IPL 2018 season as they face off in an Indian Premier League match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Sunday. Royal Challengers beat Kings XI Punjab by four wickets in their last game while the Royals got the better of Delhi Daredevils by ten runs in a rain-curtailed match on their return to their fortress, the Sawai Man Singh Stadium in Jaipur. Sanju Samson’s 92* powered Rajasthan Royals to 217/4. Get live cricket score and live updates of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2018, here. )

18:02 hrs IST: Stupendous start from Gowtham. Gets rid of McCullum. Royal Challengers Bangalore are 5/1 after the first over. Dhawal Kulkarni comes into the attack.

17:59 hrs IST: Time for RCB’s innings. Brendon McCullum to take strike. K Gowtham to bowl the first over.

17:50 hrs IST: Sanju Samson smacked 39 runs off his last eight balls.

17:44 hrs IST: Single and Rajasthan Royals finish on 217/4. Samson remains unbeaten on 92. This will take some chasing. RCB have their task cut out. We will back in a few minutes time.

17:42 hrs IST: SIX! Another slower delivery from Umesh and Samson hits it over the fielder at long-off for his ninth maximum. Amazing!

17:40 hrs IST: SIX! Slower delivery from Umesh and Tripathi hammers into long-on stands for a maximum.

17:38 hrs IST: 4,4,6 -- Sanju Samson, you beauty! Woakes finishes with figures of 2/47. Rajasthan Royals are 190/4 after 19 overs. Samson 79*, Tripathi 1*. Umesh Yadav to bowl the final over.

17:33 hrs IST: Consecutive sixes from Samson. The decision to go with Khejroliya hasn’t worked for Virat Kohli. Time to bring in Navdeep Saini? Rajasthan Royals are 173/3 after 18 overs.

17:29 hrs IST: Single and that’s fifty for Sanju Samson, eighth in IPL. What a player and what an innings! Needs to stay till the end. Rajasthan Royals are 157/3 after 17 overs. Kulwant Khejroliya is back into the attack

17:26 hrs IST: SIX! Length ball from Woakes and Samson smashes it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum. This has been a sensational innings from the RR number four.

17:23 hrs IST: Umesh Yadav has been expensive today. Thirteen runs off his third over. Can he finish well? Rajasthan Royals are 142/3 after 16 overs.

17:19 hrs IST: SIX! Juicy full-toss from Umesh and Samson deposits it over mid-wicket for a maximum. Moves into 40s.

17:15 hrs IST: Magnificent spell from Chahal, ends with figures of 2/22. Rajasthan Royals are 129/3 after 15 overs. Samson 34*, Buttler 10*. Second strategic time-out.

17:12 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Weightlifter Punam Yadav, who won India a gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast was attacked with bricks and stones by unidentified assailants on Saturday when she was visiting a relative, police said.

When her father, uncle and cousin tried to intervene they too were thrashed. Amid heavy stone pelting and ruckus, the police team escorting her managed to save her and bring her out of the melee.

17:09 hrs IST: SIX! Touch short from Negi, Samson rocks back and smashes it into deep mid-wicket stands for a maximum.

17:07 hrs IST: Good over from Chahal (except the four byes), seven runs and a wicket. Rajasthan Royals are 112/3 after 13 overs. Pawan Negi comes into the attack.

17:04 hrs IST: WICKET! Stokes looks to hit it over mid-wicket but gets a thick inside edge onto the stumps. Second scalp for Chahal. Jos Buttler comes to the crease.

17:01 hrs IST: Two runs off the last ball for Stokes. Rajasthan Royals are 101/2 after 12 overs. Stokes 27*, Samson 21*. Chahal again.

16:59 hrs IST: SIX! Too short from Khejroliya and Stokes creams it over deep fine leg for a maximum. Incredible!

16:58 hrs IST: FOUR! Stokes opens the bat face and hits it in the gap between short third man and point. Too much width on offer from Khejroliya.

16:55 hrs IST: Single for Stokes, Sundar finishes with figures of 0/30. Rajasthan Royals are 86/2 after 11 overs. Anything around 180-190 should be a good score. Khejroliya again.

16:52 hrs IST: SIX! Pitched up from Sundar and Samson smacks it over the long-on boundary for a maximum. Stand and deliver!

16:46 hrs IST: Only five runs in the ninth over bowled by Washington Sundar. Royal Challengers Bangalore are drying up the runs after the good start provided by Ajinkya Rahane. Strategic time-out.

16:42 hrs IST: Single off the last ball for Stokes. Rajasthan Royals are 63/2 after 8 overs. Samson 9*, Stokes 2*

16:41 hrs IST: SIX! Short and wide from Khejroliya, Samson comes into position early and clobbers it over fine leg for a maximum.

16:37 hrs IST: Great over from Chahal, two runs and a wicket. Rajasthan Royals are 54/2 after 7 overs. Kulwant Khejroliya comes into the attack.

16:35 hrs IST: OUT! Short looks to cut but gets a thick outside edge and Quinton de Kock does the rest. First wicket for Chahal. Ben Stokes comes to the crease.

16:32 hrs IST: Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull won Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix to claim the sixth victory of his Formula One (F1) career.

Ricciardo of Australia started from the third row, but took advantage when the safety car came out on the 31st lap to allow him to get fresh tires. He took the lead on the 45th lap, overtaking Valtteri Bottas of Mercedes.

16:29 hrs IST: WICKET! Much-needed breakthrough for Royal Challengers Bangalore. Chris Woakes removes the danger-man Ajinkya Rahane. Sanju Samson comes to the crease.

16:25 hrs IST: FOUR! Tossed up from Chahal and Short plays it straight down the ground for his first boundary. Rajasthan Royals are 43/0 after 5 overs.

16:22 hrs IST: Two more boundaries for Rahane. Looks in top form. Umesh Yadav struggling with his length. Rajasthan Royals are 33/0 after 4 overs. Yuzvendra Chahal comes into the attack.

16:19 hrs IST: Meanwhile, FC Barcelona responded to the shock of being eliminated from the Champions League by AS Roma by beating Valencia 2-1 on Saturday at the Nou Camp, setting a Liga record run of 39 games unbeaten and taking them ever closer to another title.

16:17 hrs IST: Single off the last ball for Rahane. Expensive over from Sundar, 14 runs off it. Rajasthan Royals are 22/0 after 3 overs. Umesh Yadav comes into the attack.

16:15 hrs IST: SIX! Length ball from Sundar, Rahane makes room and strikes it over the long-on boundary for a maximum.

16:14 hrs IST: FOUR! Quicker delivery from Sundar, Rahane gets down on one knee and sweeps it to deep backward square leg boundary.

16:12 hrs IST: Looks like Rahane is struggling with cramps. The physio is out to attend to him. We will keep you posted.

16:09 hrs IST: Dot ball to finish off from Woakes. Rajasthan Royals are 8/0 after 2 overs. Rahane 5*, Short 1*. Sundar to continue.

16:07 hrs IST: FOUR! Length ball from Woakes, Rahane comes forward and smacks it over mid-wicket for his first boundary of the evening.

16:05 hrs IST: Saina Nehwal’s aggression and intensity quite literally brought top seed PV Sindhu to her knees as she ensnared the women’s singles Commonwealth Games gold but K Srikanth and the debutant men’s doubles pair of Satwik Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty settled for silver medals on the final day of the event on Sunday. Read full story here

16:04 hrs IST: Magnificent start from Sundar. No margin for error. Short cautious, for now. Rajasthan Royals are 1/0 after the first over. Chris Woakes comes into the attack.

16:02 hrs IST: Length delivery from Sundar to start off, Rahane plays the reverse sweep but no runs. The RR captain making his intentions clear.

16:00 hrs IST: Time for live action. Rahane and Short to open. Washington Sundar to start the proceedings.

15:45 hrs IST: Rajasthan Royals, the IPL 2008 champions, did not impress with the bat in their first two matches, and having retained the same eleven, it remains to be seen whether they shuffle the batting order.

15:41 hrs IST: RCB had won only one game at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in IPL 2017. Their campaign last year was hurt by a shoulder injury to Virat Kohli, that sidelined him until the final stages of the tournament.

15:36 hrs IST: Playing XIs -

Rajasthan Royals: Ajinkya Rahane(c), D’ Arcy Short, Ben Stokes, Sanju Samson, Jos Buttler(wk), Rahul Tripathi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Quinton de Kock(wk), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Chris Woakes, Pawan Negi, Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal

15:32 hrs IST: Royal Challengers Bangalore have won the toss and have opted to field.

15:30 hrs IST: Hello and welcome to HT’s live coverage of the 2018 Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

AB de Villiers took RCB side home in the last match but the team will be looking at their other big names to fire against the Royals. Skipper Virat Kohli will be itching to get going as he has so far only score 52 runs in the first two matches.

Royals, despite winning their last match, would be disappointed by how their batting has fared so far in the competition. They too would be looking at their expensive imports to deliver on a surface that has historically been a batting paradise.