Kochi Tuskers Kerala rode on a rollicking opening stand between Brendon McCullum and V.V.S. Laxman as they scored a challenging 161 for five against Royal Challengers Bangalore in their debut Indian Premier League match here on Saturday.

McCullum (45 off 32 balls) and Laxman (36 off 29 balls) gave KTK a blazing start with an 80-run stand from nine overs in their first IPL outing as the duo rained fours and sixes to take their side to 61 after the sixth over after their captain Mahela Jayawardene elected to bat.

The home side could not cash in on to the strong foundation laid by the openers as they lost wickets at regular intervals but still posted a challenging total.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja played a useful late cameo of 23 not out from 16 balls, which was studded with two fours and a six.



Keywords: Kochi Tuskers Kerala,rollicking opening,Brendon McCullum ,V.V.S. Laxman,challenging 161 ,Royal Challengers Bangalore ,Indian Premier League match ,KTK ,captain Mahela Jayawardene,All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja