DURBAN: The succession of close contests in the DLF Indian Premier League continued with Royal Challengers Bangalore edging out Kings XI Punjab by eight runs on a sluggish Kingsmead track here on Friday.

Chasing 146 for a win, Kings XI Punjab were kept on track by Yuvraj Singh who made a half-century but lost their way in the latter half of the game. The heart reached out to Yuvraj Singh, who had claimed a hat-trick in the Royal Challengers Bangalore innings. The man of the match award was a poor consolation for the Kings XI Punjab skipper.

Anil Kumble led Royal Challengers Bangalore with panache, bringing his calm to the fore and ensuring that his troops stayed that way too under pressure. He sent down a fabulous 19th over – when he conceded but four runs and castled Kumar Sangakkara – and picked Praveen Kumar to bowl the final over against one of Kings XI Punjab’s better striker, Irfan Pathan.

Praveen started with a dot ball in the corridor outside the off-stump, leaving Kings XI Punjab needing 13 runs off five balls. Pathan responded with a rasping square drive off the next delivery to bring the equation down to nine off four balls, drawing more people of the edge of their seats. Praveen conjured a slower one and Pathan missed it completely as he swung early.

Though he held a ball that was rendered quite wet by the dew, the Royal Challengers Bangalore swing bowler saw his chance, sensing that Pathan was perhaps too worked up. He bowled a low full toss – such a smart weapon under the circumstances – and Pathan scooped it with hope and not enough power to the man at long-on.

Praveen yorked Piyush Chawla with the next ball and Kings XI Punjab resigned themselves to the truth that they had botched it up. To be sure, Yuvraj Singh had done well to lead the chase by opening the innings – he knew that someone had to get going at the start and he was willing to be the man. But his own fall in the 10th over led to doubt clouds enveloping Kings XI Punjab run.

Earlier, only a valiant 35 by Roelof van der Merwe helped Royal Challenger Bangalore post a competitive score after being 80 for five in 12 overs. Van Der Merwe made 16 of the 21 runs that his team took off left-arm paceman Yusuf Abdulla in the 18th over. The local paceman picked up the Purple Cap.

Kings XI Punjab retained their fourth place on the league table but Royal Challengers Bangalore catapulted themselves to the fifth place on the back of two successive victories.