Siddharth Trivedi (right) celebrates with Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid after dismissing AB de Villiers, at the Chinnaswamy, on Sunday. (AP)

Bangalore: Ajinkya Rahane had missed it by just two runs in the Rajasthan Royals’ first match of IPL-V. But on Sunday, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore, he made sure that his efforts brought him a century and, in the process, help his team to a comfortable 59-run win.

Rahane produced a scintillating 103-run unbeaten knock off just 60 balls, and together with Owais Shah (60), stitched 121 runs off 8.2 overs for the second wicket to guide the Royals to a mammoth 195 for two after opting to bat at the Chinnaswamy. Such was the Rahane-storm that he smashed six boundaries off six balls in the 14th over of the innings, bowled by Sreenath Aravind.

Rahane carried on his good form in the tournament and showed his intentions from the onset. He decorated his unconquered innings with 12 boundaries and five huge sixes to stamp his authority as the highest run--scorer so far in this edition of the IPL.

Rahane was a treat to watch as he pulled, cut and drove the RCB bowlers with consummate ease during his innings. Coming in at No.3, Shah provided Rahane the perfect support from the other end, scoring a quickfire 60 off just 29 balls, during which he struck five fours and as many sixes.

Chasing the formidable total, RCB lost the plot after a quick start and lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 136 in 19.5 overs.

Siddharth Trivedi starred with the ball for the Royals with brilliant figures of four for 23, while Pankaj Singh (2/18) and Amit Singh (2/43) also contributed handsomely.

Mayank Agarwal (34 off 21) gave a brisk start to RCB’s run chase before Pankaj pegged back the visitors’ innings with a double blow in the fifth over.

Pankaj first dismissed Agarwal, who top-edged a simple catch to Shah and then a ball later, he induced an inside edge on to the stumps from dangerman Chris Gayle to rattle RCB’s hopes.

To make matters worse for RCB, AB de Villiers also failed to make any impact as he played on a Trivedi delivery in the ninth over.

Virat Kohli tried to force a comeback with an 18-ball 22-run innings but it was not to be as Trivedi knocked him over with a slower delivery to pick up his second wicket of the day.

As the asking rate kept on mounting, pressure started to build on RCB batsmen, and in search of quick runs, the visitors kept losing wickets at regular intervals.Trivedi turned out to be the beneficiary as he added two more to his tally, cleaning up Saurabh Tiwary (17) and RCB skipper Daniel Vettori in the 15th over.

Towards the end, Amit also picked up two wickets in the form of Ranganath Vinay Kumar and last man Muttiah Muralidharan.

Earlier, electing to bat, the Royals made a steady start, putting on 61 runs for the first wicket before losing Dravid. Dravid made 25 off 32 balls with the help of two boundaries before perishing in the 11th over, stumped by De Villiers off Vettori’s (1/20). But the in-form Rahane was in no mood to relent as he clobbered Muralidharan over long-on for a six in the next over to keep the run rate up. (Agencies)