Back from a week-long break, the refreshed Royal Challengers blew Kings XI Punjab away with a strong all-rounder performance at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, led by Chris Gayle who followed up a belligerent 107 off just 49 balls with 3-21 in four overs.
Set a tall target of 206, Punjab lost Adam Gilchrist, run out, first ball of the chase and struggled to 120-9 with Sreenath Arvind taking 4-14.
Bangalore have leapt to fourth place with 11 points while the Gilchrist-led Punjab are languishing in ninth place.
After being inserted by Punjab, Gayle struck 10 fours and nine sixes to complete a fifty in 28 balls and his second hundred of this IPL off another 18 balls.
He was out when he smashed a long-hop from Piyush Chawla flat and low to deep midwicket.
He added 111 runs for the second wicket with Virat Kohli, whose contribution to the partnership was only 27.
Though Ryan McLaren got an initial breakthrough when he got other opener Tilakaratne Dilshan caught by Praveen Kumar for 16 in the fifth over, Gayle began an unabated attack on Punjab.
Harris was the most successful bowler for Kings XI, bagging three wickets for 38 runs.
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