KOLKATA: Chris Gayle hammered an unbeaten 102 off just 55 balls to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Friday.
The West Indies batsman cracked seven sixes and 10 fours in a superb display of power-hitting as Bangalore achieved a 172-run target with 11 balls to spare for their second win in six matches of the Twenty20 tournament.
Gayle, playing his first IPL match after being dropped for the opening home games against Pakistan, put his team on course for victory with a 123-run stand for the opening wicket with Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Dilshan scored 38 off 31 balls with the help of six fours before being bowled by fast bowler Lakshmipathy Balaji.
But there was no stopping Gayle, who completed the victory and his century when he hit left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan through the covers for a four. Virat Kohli was the other notable contributor with an unbeaten 30.
Kolkata, who suffered their third defeat in six matches, earlier posted a competitive total, thanks to skipper Gautam Gambhir (48), Yusuf Pathan (46) and South African Jacques Kallis (40).
Kallis put on 44 off just 4.5 overs for the opening wicket with Australian Brad Haddin (18) and 58 for the second wicket with Gambhir before Pathan stepped up the run-rate in the closing overs.
Gambhir hit six fours in his 38-ball knock, while Pathan smashed three sixes and as many fours in his brisk 24-ball innings.
Seamer Sreenath Aravind dismissed both Gambhir and Pathan to finish with 2-37 off three overs.