Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli scored 80 runs from 63 balls. Pictured: Kohli plays a wristy shot at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on April 22, 2016.IANS

Royal Challengers Bangalore played good cricket to defeat Rising Pune Supergiants at the MCA Stadium in Pune on Friday by 13 runs. The RCB players showed their class to win their second match in IPL 2016.

Both teams comprised some big names in their batting line-up, but it was RCB's Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers, who played an important role with the willow, helping them accumulate 185 runs in 20 overs. Despite a late flourish from RPS' Thisara Perera, hitting three fours and three sixes, MS Dhoni's team failed to reach the target.

With RPS requiring more than nine runs per over for a win from the start, they had to begin on a bright note, but things did not go according to plan. Faf Du Plessis, who has batted well in IPL 2016, lost his wicket in the second over. RPS were in further trouble as Englishman, Kevin Pietersen was retired hurt after playing his first delivery.

Things looked even more ugly for RPS as Steve Smith was run out in the third over, and the chase was made difficult with key stars back in the dugout, without making any impact.

Though Dhoni and Ajinkya Rahane were trying to build a solid partnership, and chase the score, they could not score runs at a brisk rate as required. The required run rate was always increasing, and climbed to more than 11 runs per over within the first nine overs only.

However, Rahane raised hopes of the home team, completing his half-century in the twelfth over, but he lost his wicket in the 15th over for 60 runs. Dhoni also lost his wicket in the next over, which made matters worse for RPS.

But the game was not all over for RPS as Perera played some wonderful shots for massive fours and sixes. The left-hander got the home fans on their feet with a gem of an innings, scoring 34 runs from 13 balls, before losing his wicket in the 19th over. 

Despite his heroics, RPS still required 21 runs from the last over, but the lower order failed to bring joy to the home team. RPS scored 172 runs in 20 overs. 

Earlier, RCB did not get off to a bright start, losing KL Rahul in the fourth over. Rahul was back in the dugout after scoring seven runs only, but things changed drastically after De Villiers and Kohli began to show their skills with the bat in Pune.

De Villiers and Kohli looked in complete control of the innings, hitting boundaries on both sides of the wicket with constant ease. The RPS bowlers, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishant Sharma and others were taken to the cleanest by the duo. 

De Villiers was on a groove of his own, hitting those massive sixes and playing wonderful shots for important boundaries. De Villiers scored 46-ball 83, which comprised six fours and four sixes.

Kohli, on the other hand, started in a decent manner as compared to the South Africa player, but he looked in great form in the latter stages, helping his team reach a total of 185 runs in their 20 overs. Kohli scored 80 runs from 63 balls, which included seven fours and two sixes. Perera picked three wickets for RPS.

But RCB's total proved too much for RPS, who suffered their third straight loss in IPL 2016.

Get the highlights of the match HERE and HERE