Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma hammered explosive half centuries to set up a comprehensive 24-run victory for the Deccan Chargers against the Bangalore Royal Challengers in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Newlands on Wednesday.

Final score

Deccan Chargers 184-6 (20 overs) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 160-8 (20 overs) by 24 runs.

Adam’s Evening

If the IPL — so far bereft of its much-vaunted and publicised big-hitting — ever needed an energy boost, it was now. And they couldn’t have asked for anyone better than Adam Gilchrist to inject it. Gilly’s former opening partner-in-crime Matthew Hayden had threatened to blow the Royal Challengers away with his 35-ball 65 a couple of days back. And unfortunately for Kevin Pietersen, his team were at the receiving end again, as the Deccan Chargers captain unleashed himself on the hapless bowlers and smashed them to every corner of Newlands — with a special preference for the point and mid-wicket boundaries.

As if Gilchrist wasn’t fired up enough, Praveen Kumar provided him a perfect warm-up in the first over of the innings — three short-pitched deliveries, each conveniently dispatched to the fence, and the destructive left-hander was on his way. Dale Steyn was deposited over the long-off fence, while Jacques Kallis and Jesse Ryder too got the treatment, as Gilchrist ended up with five sixes and six fours in his 45-ball 71 — the highest individual score in IPL2.

It has been over a year since he hung up his boots from international cricket, but Gilchrist proved he was as intimidating as ever.

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