World Of Sports

Yusuf Pathan plundered a rapid half-century to lift Rajasthan Royals to the top of the IPL table with an eight-wicket win over Deccan Chargers on Friday.

Yusuf struck 68 from just 37 balls in an opening-wicket partnership of 109 with Graeme Smith as the Royals cruised to their 141-run victory target with four overs to spare.

Deccan had earlier suffered a middle-order collapse, losing four wickets for just eight runs to slump from 97 for two to 105 for six.

Opener Adam Gilchrist cracked nine fours and a six on his way to 61, but his departure prompted a capitulation as Deccan posted 140 for eight.

Shane Warne - whose aggressive hitting late in the day earned the Royals victory in the first IPL match between the sides - this time did the damage with the ball, claiming two wickets and a run out.

And Yusuf and Smith were then always in control as they helped guide the hosts to 141 for two.

The big-hitting Yusuf was in particularly imperious form, bludgeoning two maximums on the way to his third IPL half-century before holing out to Hershelle Gibbs off Pragyan Ojha.

Smith went for 40, caught by Ojha off RP Singh, but Mohammad Kaif (17) and Shane Watson (five) saw the Royals over the line.

Having been put in to bat by the Royals, Gilchrist showed his intentions from the start as he stroked the opening ball of the match through the covers for four.

And the Australian continued to hit boundaries as if they were going out of fashion, following up another sweetly-struck drive with a flick off the legs.

His usually effervescent opening partner Gibbs, who made 19 before edging a Munaf Patel delivery to wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat, took a back seat as Gilchrist raced to his 50 from 37 balls.

Scott Styris (13) launched a massive six over the square leg boundary onto the canvas roof of the stand before he was dismissed cheaply, while Gilchrist fell victim to Siddharth Trivedi, nicking a wide slower ball to Rawat.

And Shahid Afridi (one), Rohit Sharma (five), Sanjay Bangar (three), Dwaraka Teja (six) and Singh (two) posed little problem for the Royals as their opponents' innings fell apart.