AB de Villiers takes a stunning catch to dismiss Alex Hales.
Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy on Thursday witnessed one of the best matches of this season's Indian Premier League with hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore edging out Sunrisers Hyderabad in a run-fest to keep their playoffs bid alive. (IPL 2018 FULL COVERAGE)
It was full of action with AB de Villiers and Moen Ali power show lighting up the Bengaluru skies after RCB were put in to bat. De Villiers scored 69 and Moeen Ali made 65 to power Bangalore to 218-6. Hyderabad then stayed in the game until the last over before finishing on 204-3 to lose by 14 runs despite captain Kane Williamson's 81 off 42 balls. (HIGHLIGHTS, RCB VS SRH)
However, one effort which grabbed the headlines was De Villiers' stunning gravity-defying catch to dismiss Alex Hales. (IPL 2018 POINTS TABLE)
De Villiers picked up Hales in a nearly impossible catch at the boundary line in the 8th over of the second innings. De Villiers' effort forced the commentators to describe it as the catch of the season.
It was a short ball from Moeen Ali on the off and Hales hung back and pulled it towards the deep mid-wicket boundary. AB there, ran to his right, jumped high and took it with his right hand. He then landed just inside the ropes and kicked the ball in celebration. The Bangalore players ran towards him to join in the celebration. That was surely a fielder's wicket.
It was a crucial catch for RCB as Hales was looking in good touch while chasing a huge target of 219.
After winning the match, RCB skipper Virat Kohli tweeted, "Saw #SpiderMan Live today! @abdevilliers17 #RCBvsSRH #IPL2018" with AB's photo while picking up the catch.
Kohli was in full praise of De Villiers at the post-match presentation party and said: "That was Spiderman stuff. You don't do that as normal human beings. I thought it was going for a six but he pulled it off. I though it was going for a six, but he pulls it out, then the jump and then the balance. I mean he can do freakish things but I am used to it now. His shots still leave me in awe but his fielding I am pretty used to now."
Hyderabad have already qualified for the playoffs but need to win on Saturday against Kolkata Knight Riders to finish top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Bangalore must win against Rajasthan Royals on Saturday to have any hope of making it to the playoffs on run-rate.
