DUBAI: Glenn Maxwell hit his second successive half-century to fire Royal Challengers Bangalore to a convincing seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League in Dubai on Wednesday.
The Australian batting all-rounder made an unbeaten 50 off 30 deliveries as Bangalore chased down their victory target of 150 in 17.1 overs in the Twenty20 tournament.
Bowlers set up the team’s second straight win with paceman Harshal Patel taking three wickets and spinners Shahbaz Ahmed and Yuzvendra Chahal claiming two each to restrict Rajasthan to 149-9.
Virat Kohli’s Bangalore stay third in the eight-team table, led by Chennai Super Kings, and eye a strong league finish in their bid for a maiden title.
“We have come back strongly in two games back-to-back with the ball which is great,” said Kohli, who will step down as captain of the side at the end of this season.
“It means we are heading in the right direction.”
Kohli, who hit 25, and Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 22, started briskly for the opening wicket to lay the foundation for the chase.
Srikar Bharat (44) and Maxwell put on a third-wicket stand of 69 to take the attack to the opposition bowlers despite Bangladesh left-arm quick Mustafizur Rahman striking twice.
Bharat fell short of his fifty but Maxwell, who made a match-winning 56 in the previous game, completed his 50 with two straight boundaries.
Earlier, Royals collapsed from a comfortable 100-1 in 11 overs to 117-5 with debutant left-arm quick George Garton sending back Evin Lewis for 56 and Ahmed striking twice in his first over.
Chahal also struck twice to return impressive figures of 2-18 from his four overs of leg spin and was named man of the match.
Patel, who got a hat-trick in his team’s previous win, rattled the middle and lower order and struck on successive deliveries.
Royals, winners of the inaugural edition in 2008, are seventh in the table.
“We don’t have anything to lose. That kind of mindset brings a lot of freedom, have seen some funny things happen,” said Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson.
IPL: Maxwell fifty powers Royal Challengers Bangalore to big win over Rajasthan Royals
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IPL: Maxwell fifty powers Royal Challengers Bangalore to big win over Rajasthan Royals
- Australian batting all-rounder made an unbeaten 50 off 30 deliveries as Bangalore chased down their victory target of 150 in 17.1 overs
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
