PRETORIA: Naman Ojha hit an unbeaten 52 to guide the Rajasthan Royals to a seven-wicket win with five overs remaining against Bangalore Royals Challengers in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The 20-year-old Indian blasted three boundaries and three sixes in 38 balls as Rajasthan reached 107-3 after Bangalore were bowled out for 105 on the last ball of its innings at Centurion Park. Rajasthan’s Amit Singh took 4-19 and Ravindra Jadeja claimed 3-15.

In pursuit, Rajasthan lost opener Graeme Smith on 20 in the sixth over, bowled by Jacques Kallis. Smith cracked four fours in 22 balls. Twenty-one runs later, Lee Carseldine was run out following a mix-up with Ojha to leave Rajasthan on 48-2 in the ninth over.

Ojha then put on a 43-run stand for the third wicket with Yusuf Pathan (22 off 19 balls). The partnership was broken when Pathan top-edged a pull off Dillon du Preez and was caught by Wasim Jaffer. Needing 15 runs to win, Ojha and Jadeja (one not out) steered Rajasthan home with 30 balls remaining.

On Wednesday, Rohit Sharma’s hat-trick ended Deccan Chargers’ losing streak with a 19-run win over Mumbai Indians at the SuperSport Park.

Mumbai Indians bowled well to restrict Deccan Chargers to 145. Sharma was the savior with the bat, too, scoring 38 runs to help Chargers recover from a top-order collapse. Sharma then returned startling bowling figures of 2-4, dashing the hopes of JP Duminy, who scored a fighting 52 but once again failed to finish the match. Mumbai Indians could only reach 126-8.

Chargers started their defense of the small total with RP Singh dismissing Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar cheaply off successive balls in the second over. Pinal Shah (29) and Duminy (52) pulled the team back with a 53-run stand, but the partnership was broken by Tirumalsetti Suman, who removed Shah.

Dwayne Bravo scored 13 runs and looked good in the company of Duminy, but Suman took him out with Ryan Harris holding on to a brilliant catch. Mumbai Indians’ batsmen then went blindly for the shots and Sharma capitalised with his off-spinners. Sharma dismissed Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh in the last two balls of the 16th over. Sharma had Duminy caught behind by Gilchrist in the next over to complete his hat-trick. Sharma’s fourth wicket came with Saurabh Tiwary being stumped by Gilchrist in the same over.