After lightning,thunder from Down Under

Along with fellow Australian Shaun Marsh,who finished on an unbeaten 79,Gilchrist stitched the highest ever partnership for any wicket,in any form of T20,and their 96-ball 206 second wicket stand humiliated front runners RCB like never before this season. Chasing 233 to win in cold,damp and chilly conditions,Virat Kohli captaining the side in the absence of Daniel Vettori accepted defeat by an anhillating margin of 111-runs.

In the process,Punjab kept themselves in the race to qualify for a play-off spot,having bounced back spectacularly from the bottom of the table less than two weeks back,with four consecutive wins. And going by their form,another must-win game against the Deccan Chargers their last will not really be considered a stiff challenge. Quite unlike their match on Tuesday.

There must have been some residual intoxicants in the thick mountain air,for under a constant drizzle and a threat of a downpour,Gilchrist left won the toss and chose to bat first. Having notched just 30 runs in the first six overs of the game,the decision,both weather and pitch wise,seemed to be the wrong one. However,with a humanly incomprehensible 95 runs in the next six,he proved just why batting first,despite the prevailing conditions,is the best option in T20s.

The former Aussie stumper unleashed his wrath on Sreesanth Aravind the pick of the bowlers until then in the eighth over of the innings,sizzling two sixes and two fours to aid the notching of 23 runs in six balls. Chris Gayle was hammered for two big ones in the next,before Charl Langeveldt was belted for three successive maximums in the 10th over.

Unsure of what to do next,Kohli brought himself on in the 11th,but his dibbly-dobblies woke Marsh up from his slumber. Marsh hit his first six of Kohli,before massacring Johan Van der Waath for 30 runs three sixes,and as many fours.

Gilchrist brought up his second IPL ton in the last over,to equal Gayles record. The Jamaican needed to summon his A game and score an unprecedented third ton in the same season,but unfortunately for him,and his beloved RCB,that did not happen.

Softened up by Praveen Kumars six dot balls to kickstart proceedings in the worst possible way,Gayle perished while chasing Ryan Harris in the second over 8211; for a seven-ball duck. AB de Villiers was the only one to offer resistance with 34 streaky runs,but once he was dismissed by Piyush Chawla who finished with 4/17 the table toppers surrendered rather meekly.

Statosphere

Adam Gilchrist and Shaun Marsh recorded the highest-ever stand in a T20 game by adding 206 runs for the second wicket on Tuesday

The 186-run stand between Justin Langer and Cameron White for the second wicket for Somerset was the previous best stand.

The undefeated 155-run stand for the first wicket between Gilchrist and VVS Laxman for Deccan Chargers against Mumbai Indians was the previous best stand in the IPL.

Kings XI recorded their highest-ever total by making 232 for 2 in 20 overs. It was third-highest total in IPL.

Semis Scenario

RCB are assured of a semi-final spot with 17 points.

Chennai have a healthy NRR and two games in hand. Need just one more win to go through.

Mumbai Indians also have two games in hand. A win in their next two matches will see them through. However if they lose both games,their low NRR will count against them.

Kolkata have 14 points,the same as Punjab but with two games in hand and need to win both to avoid run-rate clash.

Punjab must win their next game against Deccan and hope then that either Kolkata win at most one of their next two games or Mumbai lose both games.