HYDERABAD (India), May 20: South African Dale Steyn took three wickets for eight runs and led Deccan Chargers to a nine-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.The defeat knocked the Challengers out of the playoffs as defending champions Chennai Super Kings go through thanks to a superior run-rate after both teams finished with 17 points.

J.P. Duminy smashed 74 off 53 balls to lift the Chargers’ total to 132-7. Steyn removed the dangerous Chris Gayle (27) and Tillakaratne Dilshan in successive overs before clean bowling Zaheer Khan in his last over as the Challengers finished with 123-9.

Chargers ended up second from the bottom in the nine-team league with nine points.

Gayle, who scored a century in the previous game against leaders Delhi Daredevils, gave his team another blistering start when he smashed three fours and two sixes in seamer Manpreet Singh’s first over of the innings.

However, Steyn struck twice in successive overs when first Gayle played onto a short pitched delivery and Dilshan was out leg before wicket.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra got two wickets in one over that reduced Challengers to 57-4 before stand-in captain Virat Kohli (42) and Saurabh Tiwary got the innings back on track with a 46-run stand.

Kohli hit seamer Ashish Reddy for a straight six but needlessly tried to repeat the shot off the next delivery and was caught at long on. Tiwary also came under pressure as the asking rate rose to more than 10 an over and the left-hander finally top edged Veer Pratap Singh in the 19th over to Kumar Sangakkara at midwicket.

“We could have played better shots, we did not play the right shots on that wicket,” Kohli said. “My wicket probably changed the game. We just need to learn from our mistakes and come back stronger next year.”

Elsewhere, Kolkata Knight Riders scored an easy 34-run win over Pune Warriors on Saturday to ensure second place with 10 wins, five losses and a no-result.    Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan (42) and New Zealander Brendon McCullum (41) helped Kolkata score 136-4 after electing to bat on a slow pitch at Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium in Pune.

Shakib came back to take two wickets as Pune, already out of playoffs contention, managed to score only 102-8.

Results: Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers by nine runs.

DECCAN CHARGERS 132-7 in 20 overs (J.P. Duminy 74; R. Vinay Kumar 3-22, Zaheer Khan 2-30); ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE 123-9 in 20 overs (V. Kohli 42, S.S. Tiwary 30, C.H. Gayle 27; D.W. Steyn 3-8, A. Ashish Reddy 3-25, A. Mishra 2-26).

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Pune Warriors by 34 runs.

KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS 136-4 in 20 overs (Shakib Al Hasan 42, B.B. McCullum 41; W.D. Parnell 2-18); PUNE WARRIORS 102-8 in 20 overs (J.D. Ryder 22; Yusuf Pathan 2-12, Shakib Al Hasan 2-18).—AP