De Villers called time on his illustrious career at the age of 37 after establishing himself as one of the best players in the world.
A mercurial batsman, brilliant fielder and fine wicketkeeper when called upon to don the gloves, De Villers made 114 Test appearances, playing in 228 ODIs and featured in 78 T20Is.
De Villiers scored an astonishing 20,014 runs at international level and made 47 centuries to go down as a Proteas great.
He was also outstanding for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League and Kohli paid a glowing tribute to his former team-mate.
The India Test and ODI captain tweeted: "To the best player of our times and the most inspirational person I've met, you can be very proud of what you've done and what you've given to RCB my brother. Our bond is beyond the game and will always be.
"This hurts my heart but I know you've made the best decision for yourself and your family like you've always done. I love you."
Former Proteas captain Faf du Plessis tweeted: "Well done @ABdeVilliers17 on a special career. I've been extremely lucky to be on the same cricket field as you.
"The game will not be the same without you. The greatest player I have played with."
Cricket South Africa posted: "Thank you for the memories, the records broken and the entertainment @ABdeVilliers17. We salute your contribution to the game and wish you everything of the best for the future."
RCB expressed their gratitude to De Villiers for the impact he made at the IPL franchise.
"End of an era! There's nobody like you, AB. We'll miss you dearly at RCB. For all that you've done and given to the team, to the fans, and to cricket lovers in general, #ThankYouAB. Happy retirement, legend!" RCB posted.
Russell, who bowled 18 balls, took the remarkable figures of 3-9 that included the wicket of the dangerous AB de Villiers for a first-ball duck as RCB plunged to 92 all out in 19 overs in Abu Dhabi. Chakravarthy was equally destructive with figures of 3-13 during his four-over spell in which he got the prized wicket Virat Kohli for five.
Of the RCB batsmen, only Devdutt Padikkal, who top-scored with 22, Srikar Bharat, 16, Glen Maxwell, 10 and Harshel Patel, 12, managed to get into double figures against the stifling and penetrative KKR bowling attack. Lockie Ferguson also got his piece of the action with 2-24.
In reply, Shubman Gill and Ventakesh Iyer scored at better than eight runs an over putting on 82 for the first wicket. The partnership was broken when Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Gill for 48 first ball of the tenth over.
Andre Russell, who replaced Gill, did not face a single delivery as Iyer hit fours from Chahal’s third, fifth and sixth deliveries to complete the commanding win.
Fast bowler Richardson played once in the 2021 edition, taking 1-29 from three overs in Bangalore's 10-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on April 22.
Leg-spinner Zampa, however, did not feature for the Royal Challengers, who confirmed the departure of the duo for personal reasons.
"Adam Zampa and Kane Richardson are returning to Australia for personal reasons and will be unavailable for the remainder of #IPL2021. Royal Challengers Bangalore management respects their decision and offers them complete support," a statement on Twitter read.
Andrew Tye had become the first Australian to depart the IPL bubble on Sunday, a decision made by the Rajasthan Royals fast bowler over concerns about flights home amid a rise in COVID-19 cases in India.
The country has been setting global records for daily figures, with over 17million confirmed cases in total during the pandemic.
"I just thought I should try and get on the front foot and get home before I got locked out of the country," Tye told radio station SEN while in Doha awaiting to complete his journey to Australia.
"There's definitely concerns. A lot of guys have been in touch once they've realised I was leaving. Some of the guys are very interested in what route I took home and how I approached it."
A three-day snap lockdown was placed on the Perth and Peel areas of Western Australia last week amid concerns over coronavirus spreading within communities.
Ashwin, meanwhile, is leaving the Delhi Capitals squad to focus on helping his family during the coronavirus crisis.
"I would be taking a break from this year's IPL from tomorrow," he tweeted on Sunday. "My family and extended family are putting up a fight against COVID-19 and I want to support them during these tough times. I expect to return to play if things go in the right direction. Thank you."
Ashwin has taken one wicket and posted an economy rate of 7.73 runs per over in his five outings for the Capitals, who defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday to make it four wins in five outings.
The England duo each hit half-centuries as the Kings hit 209-9, before Kagiso Rabada (3-21), Rishi Dhawan (2-36), and Rahul Chahar (2-37) wrecked RCB's top-order.
Glenn Maxwell's 35 marked the best individual performance of Bangalore's chase, as they finished 54 runs short of the Kings' tally.
With 14 points, RCB's place in the play-offs now looks vulnerable ahead of their final clash with table-topping Gujarat Titans, while the Kings kept their own hopes of a top-four finish alive with two games left to play.
Having been put in to bat by Faf du Plessis, Punjab quickly set about building a tough target, reaching 60 before their first loss when Shikhar Dhawan went for 21.
Bhanuka Rajapaksa followed, but that simply allowed Livingstone to step up and produce a terrific display alongside Bairstow, who struck 66 from 29 balls before falling to Shahbaz Ahmed in the 10th over.
Livingstone plundered a rapid 70 to ensure the Kings recovered, and RCB's hopes were severely dented when Virat Kohli, Du Plessis and Mahipal Lomror were sent packing within the opening five overs.
Maxwell's 12th-over dismissal all but sealed victory for Punjab, with Rabada adding the wickets of Shahbaz Ahmed and Harshal Patel.
Dhawan's blushes spared as Bairstow and Livingstone turn on the style
Although the Kings' best-performing batsmen Dhawan fell short of his season average of 40, a combined 136 from Bairstow and Livingstone propelled Punjab to victory.
Rabada on a roll
Fast-bowler Rabada led the Kings' attack admirably to end the contest with three wickets, taking his tally for the season to 21, some seven clear of his closest team-mate in Rahul.
The feeble effort was the lowest score posted by any team in the IPL this season, and the writing was on the wall early for a side who entered the match sitting third in the table.
South African quick Marco Jansen took three wickets in the second over of the Bangalore innings on his way to figures of 3-25, removing Faf du Plessis (5), Anuj Rawat (0) and Virat Kohli (0) to earn man-of-the-match honours. The out-of-form Kohli has made just 13 runs across his last four IPL innings.
Indian medium-pacer T Natarajan weighed in with 3-10, as only two batsmen reached double figures for Bangalore, with Glenn Maxwell making 12 and Suyash Prabhudessai top-scoring with 15.
The innings was all done in 16.1 overs, and Sunrisers charged to their target at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, with Abhishek Sharma rattling along to 47 from 28 balls, playing the dominant role as captain Kane Williamson watched admiringly from the other end.
Sharma fell when he looked to hit a match-winning six, caught inside the ropes by Rawat off Harshal Patel, but new batsman Rahul Tripathi blasted a maximum to make sure as Sunrisers reached 72-1 in just eight overs. Sunrisers climb above Bangalore thanks to this victory, jumping to second with five wins from their seven games.
Duck despair strikes again for Kohli
Kohli has been dismissed from the first ball he has faced in each of his last two IPL innings. He went this way against Lucknow Super Giants on April 19, and this is the first instance of him recording a golden duck in consecutive games in the competition.
Bangalore mark anniversary in grim style
Saturday marked five years exactly since Bangalore were dismissed for their lowest score in IPL history, when they were demolished for just 49 when chasing 132 for victory against Kolkata Knight Riders. Kohli made a first-ball duck that day, too.
Chasing a target of 164-5, it looked likely that Virat Kohli's men would fall short until a dramatic final over in Dubai.
With six runs needed off the final ball, Avesh Khan (0-31) bowled a wide to give Bharat one more chance, and his final full toss was powered over the ropes to give the Royal Challengers a seven-wicket win.
The Capitals started in commanding fashion after being put in to bat, Prithvi Shaw (48) and Shikhar Dhawan (43) combining for 88 until the latter was caught at mid-off.
Captain Rishabh Pant fell for just 10 runs shortly after Shaw sliced a shot straight to George Garton, with Shreyas Iyer (18) and Shimron Hetmyer (29) helping to push the target score into tricky territory.
When Devdutt Padikkal went for a golden duck and Kohli followed after posting just four runs, the Royal Challengers' task began to look firmly beyond their means.
That was until the intervention of Glenn Maxwell (51) and man-of-the-match Bharat. An unbeaten 78 off just 52 deliveries, aided by some lacklustre work in the field, kept the improbable in sight even after AB de Villiers' promising knock of 26 was ended before the midway point of the innings.
Maxwell reached his half-century to start the final over before Bharat's heroics sparked wild celebrations.
More Capitals gains for Kohli
The Capitals were on a run of just one defeat in seven IPL matches but came unstuck against arguably their least-favourite opponents.
The Royal Challengers have won 16 of 25 completed matches in the competition against Delhi – against no side have they won more.
It was a frustrating way for the Capitals to head into Sunday's first qualifier with the second-place Chennai Super Kings, while the Royal Challengers will be buoyed ahead of their eliminator with the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Two grand batters
Maxwell's 51, which included eight fours, saw him become the eighth Australian to reach 2,000 runs in the IPL.
Dhawan also surpassed the 2,000-run mark, a feat only achieved previously by three players for the Capitals in the competition.
RCB slumped to a nine-wicket loss at the hands of Kolkata Knight Riders after they were bowled out for only 92 on Monday in their first game since the tournament resumed.
They looked set to post an imposing total at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday after Devdutt Padikkal (70 off 50 balls) and captain Virat Kohli (53 from 41) put on 111 for the first wicket, but could only finish with 156-6.
Bravo (3-24) and Shardul Thakur (2-29) put the brakes on as Kohli's third-placed side lost their way after the start had been delayed due to a sandstorm.
An opening stand of 71 from 8.2 overs between the in-form Gaikwad (38 off 26) and Faf du Plessis (31 from 26) set CSK on their way to a seventh win in nine matches.
Ambati Rayudu (32) and Moeen Ali (23) also chipped in before vastly experienced duo Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni got the Super Kings home with 11 balls to spare, moving them above Delhi Capitals on net run-rate.
OPENERS LAY RCB FOUNDATIONS
The dangerous Padikkal and Kohli got RCB off to a great start after they were put in by MS Dhoni, taking 55 off the powerplay.
Padikkal was the first to raise his bat, bringing up his sixth IPL half-century by dispatching Deepak Chahar for four, and Kohli struck Ravindra Jadeja to the boundary to reach his fifty soon after.
RCB lost their way after Kohli was removed by Bravo in the 14th over, with Padikkal - who struck three sixes - falling straight after Shardul Thakur got rid of AB de Villiers in the South Africa legend's 150th match for just 12.
GAIKWAD IN GREAT NICK
Gaikwad made a brilliant unbeaten 88 in CSK's victory over defending champions Mumbai Indians and the opener maintained his form five days later.
The 24-year-old and Du Plessis got the Super Kings ahead of the rate in a great start to the run chase, the South Africa batsman clearing the ropes twice and Gaikwad hitting one six.
Both batsman fell in consecutive overs, but CSK kept wickets in hand and stayed ahead of the rate, with Raina and Dhoni finished off the job.
The Royals were beaten by the Titans in the first qualifier, forcing them to face Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday for a place in the season's showpiece.
Buttler ensured RCB were soundly beaten, smashing an unbeaten 106 off 60 balls to clinch a seven-wicket victory.
The Royals still had 11 balls to spare when Buttler's sixth six completed the job on 161-3.
None of the England star's team-mates had to pass 25 runs as he did all the heavy lifting in partnerships of 61 with Yashasvi Jaiswal, 52 with Sanju Samson, 35 with Devdutt Padikkal and 13 with Shimron Hetmyer in reply to RCB's 157-8.
A stunning Buttler catch had removed the dangerous Rajat Patidar (58) in the outstanding moment of the RCB innings, too, as his almost single-handed pursuit of the title continued.
Buttler blowing away the competition
This has long since been Buttler's best IPL campaign, and there remains a slim chance he also takes the tournament record. In pursuit of Virat Kohli's 973 runs in 2016, he moved on to 824 for this tournament with his fourth century. The rest of the players in this year's IPL have produced only four hundreds between them.
As well as the most runs in the 2022 IPL, Buttler leads the way for fours (78, 26 clear of second place) and sixes (45, 11 clear).
Top two tussle once again
This will be the Royals' first final since the inaugural IPL in 2008, when they took the title, but Rajasthan will have their work cut out against a Titans side who are in their debut season.
Gujarat finished two points ahead of the second-placed Royals in the points table, having won the match between the pair by 37 runs. The margin in the subsequent qualifier was seven wickets. Buttler top-scored for Rajasthan on both occasions, but their opponents have collectively shown they have the firepower to match him.
Both sides came into the showdown on the back of defeats and it was leaders Mumbai who responded like the champions they are, winning by five wickets in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Bumrah moved past the 100 IPL wickets and 200 T20 scalp landmarks with outstanding figures of 3-14 from four overs, playing a big part in restricting RCB to 164-6.
Devdutt Padikkal (74 from 45 balls) and Josh Philippe (33 off 24) got Virat Kohli's second-placed side off to a flyer, but they were rocked by the India paceman Bumrah at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium.
Kieron Pollard also made an impact with the ball, removing AB de Villiers for only 15 in his only over – which cost just five runs.
Yadav was Mumbai's match-winner with the bat, making a statement to the India selectors after he was left out for the tour of Australia by crafting an unbeaten 79 off 43 balls.
Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece, but they were unable to see the back of the classy Yadav, who hit the winning runs off the first ball of the last over to leave the Indians on the brink of the play-offs.
BRILLIANT BUMRAH HITS MILESTONES BY CLAIMING KOHLI SCALP
India paceman Bumrah is up to second on the list of the leading wicket-takers in the 2020 tournament after playing a huge hand for the defending champions yet again.
He also reached two significant landmarks by claiming the huge wicket of Kohli, who was caught in the deep after top-edging a short ball.
Bumrah then removed Shivam Dube and Padikkal, who struck 12 fours and a six in a classy knock, in the 17th over and bowled 15 dot balls in another outstanding performance with ball in hand.
YADAV MAKES HIS POINT AFTER INDIA SNUB
Siraj was called up by India this week and celebrated by getting rid of Quinton de Kock and Saurabh Tiwary, while Chahal sent Ishan Kishan packing.
Mumbai were 107-4 when Krunal Pandya fell in the 14th over, but Yadav never looked troubled in a brilliant knock, reaching his half-century off 29 balls.
The elegant right-hander struck three of his 10 fours off the 16th over, bowled by Siraj, and two of his three sixes came off the spinner Chahal as he finished with a strike rate of 183.72.
Buttler has been in immaculate form in the Indian Premier League, scoring successive centuries in the previous two matches, but he lasted just nine balls in Pune on Tuesday.
The England international's score of eight included one boundary before he was dismissed by Josh Hazlewood (2-19) in the fifth over.
Sanju Samson struck an entertaining 27, including three sixes, to get the Royals back on track, though it was Parag who ultimately dragged them through.
Having anchored the back half of the Royals' innings, Parag let rip in the final over, plundering two sixes and a four to get his side to 144-8.
Faf du Plessis elected to go with Virat Kohli at the top of the order, but RCB's former captain went for nine in the second over.
Du Plessis tallied up 23 before he fell to Sen, who had Glenn Maxwell for a golden duck with the next delivery.
Ravichandran Ashwin (3-17) joined the party, dismissing Rajat Patidar, Suyash Prabhudessai and Shahbaz Ahmed, while Dinesh Karthik was run out.
Wanindu Hasaranga (18) offered some resistance for RCB, though their hopes of avoiding a second straight defeat ended when Sen wrapped up the tail as Rajasthan went top of the IPL on 12 points.
Parag takes up the mantle
With Buttler failing to ignite, Parag initially showed great composure before that explosive final over when he reached a 29-ball half-century. Harshal Patel, who took 1-33, was the unlucky bowler, with 18 runs coming from those last six balls.
More frustration for Kohli
It was another bad day at the office for Kohli, who has failed to reach double figures in five of his nine IPL innings in 2022. Indeed, it was a bad day all round for the Challengers, who could have gone top with a win, with only Du Plessis scoring above 20.
The Capitals, requiring a victory at the Wankhede Stadium to make the last four, were limited to 159-7, with Jasprit Bumrah (3-25) the pick of the bowlers.
Rovman Powell (43) and Rishabh Pant (39) fell short of half-centuries, but Delhi's total looked competitive as the Indians made a slow start in response.
Mumbai struggled to 27-1 at the end of the powerplay after Anrich Nortje dismissed captain Rohit Sharma, who managed only two off 13 deliveries.
Ishan Kishan offered more attacking intent, scoring 48 off 35 balls before falling to Kuldeep Yadav (1-33) in the 12th over and Dewald Brevis (37) followed to Shardul Thakur soon after with 65 runs still required.
Pant failed to review when David, on nought, edged behind and the Australian capitalised by blasting an 11-ball 34 before he was removed by Thakur (2-32) to leave Mumbai needing just 15 from 13 balls.
Ramandeep Singh (13 not out) saw Rohit's side over the line with five deliveries to spare, which meant Royal Challengers Bangalore took the final play-off spot and will face Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator on Wednesday.
Brilliant Bumrah
Bumrah has been somewhat off the pace for the struggling Mumbai in this year's competition, barring his excellent 5-10 against Kolkata Knight Riders.
However, the India quick was in imperious form in the first innings of this game, removing Prithvi Shaw (24), Mitchell Marsh (nought) and Powell to take his tally to 15 in the 2022 IPL.
Pant's reviews
Pan dropped a simple chance when Brevis skied Kuldeep on 25. The skipper then ignored Thakur's advice and opted to not review when David edged behind.
The Capitals captain followed that up by reviewing a Nortje delivery to Tilak Varma that pitched well outside leg stump, capping a miserable day for the India wicketkeeper.
A strong batting performance that benefited from a late onslaught by the big-hitting Marcus Stoinis powered Delhi to 196-4 after they had been put into bat by Virat Kohli.
Prithvi Shaw (42) was the aggressor in an opening stand worth 68 with Shikhar Dhawan, who contributed a more sedate 32 to the cause before departing in the 10th over.
Rishabh Pant made 37 but it was Stoinis who stole the show in the closing overs, the Australian all-rounder blasting six fours and a pair of sixes as he made an unbeaten 53.
Bangalore's reply simply never recovered after a poor start that saw them slip to 43-3, AB de Villiers among those to fall early.
Captain Kohli top-scored with 43 before becoming one of four wickets for the excellent Kagiso Rabada, who now has 12 in this year's tournament at an average of 12.50.
There were two wickets apiece for Anrich Nortje and Axar Patel too, the Royal Challengers eventually finishing well shy on 137-9 from their 20 overs.
STOINIS STUNS ROYAL CHALLENGERS
Stoinis had endured a lean spell since starting the new IPL season with 53 against Kings XI Punjab in Delhi's opener.
He had managed just 16 runs in three knocks since but was back to his destructive best against Bangalore, reaching his half-century off 24 deliveries as he added 89 for the third wicket with Pant.
FINCH SPARED DESPITE R-ASH MOVE
In 2019, Ravichandran Ashwin caused a stir when, as captain of Kings XI, he ran out Rajathan Royals' Jos Buttler at the non-striker's end, the batsman having left his crease before the ball had been delivered.
There was nearly a repeat when Ashwin had a similar situation with Aaron Finch here, but the India spinner opted instead to produce a stare at the out-of-position Bangalore batsman, followed quickly by a wry smile.
The winner of the penultimate match of the regular season at Zayed Cricket Stadium was guaranteed to face Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 1 on Thursday and it was Delhi who came out on top.
RCB remain in the hunt for the title, though, progressing as their net run-rate is better than fourth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders finished with.
Sunrisers Hyderabad can seal the final play-off place at the expense of KKR if they beat defending champions Mumbai on Tuesday.
RCB posted 152-7 after being put in, the consistent Devdutt Padikkal making 50 off 41 balls and AB de Villiers 35 from 21 in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
South Africa pacemen Anrich Nortje (3-33) and Kagiso Rabada (2-30) played big hands for the Capitals once again to restrict Virat Kohli's side to a below-par total.
Dhawan (54 off 41) and Rahane (60 from 46) put on 88 for the second wicket to put the Capitals well on their way to victory.
PROLIFIC PADIKKAL, PROTEAS DUO STAR AGAIN
Padikkal has been one of the shining lights for RCB and the 20-year-old moved above his captain Kohli in the list of leading run-scorers in the 2020 tournament.
The opener matched KL Rahul's tally of five half-centuries in this year's competition, hitting five boundaries as he anchored the innings before the excellent Nortje removed his middle stump.
Ravichandran Ashwin, who opened the bowling, had Kohli caught in the deep for 29 off 24 balls and Rahane ran De Villiers out with a great throw in the final over after the wicketkeeper-batsman had cleared the rope twice.
Rabada, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, has two more scalps than Jasprit Bumrah with 25 after dismissing Josh Philippe and Shivam Dube.
DHAWAN AND RAHANE DELIVER
Dhawan has also had an outstanding tournament and only his India team-mate Rahul has scored more runs than him.
The left-hander demonstrated majestic timing and power once again, finding the boundary six times as he and Rahane stepped up when their side needed them.
Rahane's half-century was his first in six knocks, a timely return to form, and he hit one of only two sixes in the run chase under pressure.
Shahbaz Ahmed saw the back of Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer before Rahane fell to Washington Sundar, but Rishabh Pant and Marcus Stoinis finished it off.
Conway blasted top scored with 83 off 45 balls as CSK posted 226-6 in the southern derby at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, where Shivam Dube (52 from 27) also made a half-century.
A brutal onslaught from Glenn Maxwell (76 off 36) and Faf du Plessis (62 from 33) had RCB scenting an incredible victory, but they came up just short on 218-8 as CSK secured a third win.
Conway and Ajinkya Rahane (37) laid the platform for CSK by putting on 74 for the second wicket in quick time before the latter was bowled by Wanindu Hasaranga.
The in-form Conway faced only 31 balls to make it back-to-back half-centuries but missed out on three figures when he was cleaned up by Harshal Patel.
Dube and Moeen Ali ensured the runs continued to flow, before Virat Kohli fell in the first over of the run chase.
RCB were 15-2 when Maxwell joined Du Plessis in the middle and they produced an incredible exhibition of clean striking to put the game in the balance.
Their 126-run partnership was a franchise record for the third wicket and came in just over 10 overs, Maxwell blasting eight sixes and his skipper striking four.
Maheesh Theekshana was guilty of two of CSK's four dropped catches, but he removed Maxwell and Ali dismissed Du Plessis.
Dinesh Karthik (28) and Suyash Prabhudessai kept RCB in the hunt, but Tushar Deshpande took 3-45 as the Super Kings took the derby honours.
Conway leads the way
New Zealand opener Conway took the RCB attack to all parts, following his 50 against Rajasthan Royals with another explosive knock.
The left-hander struck six sixes and as many fours, laying the platform for a big CSK total.
As many as 72 per cent of Conway's runs came from boundaries in what was his fifth IPL half-century.
Du Plessis and Maxwell go berserk
They were certainly not queueing up to bowl when Du Plessis and Maxwell were cutting loose.
Du Plessis took over from Venkatesh Iyer as the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 259 at an average of 64.75, while Maxwell's explosive half-century was his second of the IPL season.
The Knight Riders had won three consecutive matches, but they were brought back down to earth at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Monday.
It was an astonishing knock from De Villiers that made it very much advantage RCB, the maverick South African smashing 73 not out off just 33 balls to get his side up to an imposing 194-2.
De Villiers blasted six sixes and five fours, reaching his half-century in 23 deliveries as the likes of Andre Russell and Pat Cummins were taken to all parts.
Aaron Finch (47), Virat Kohli (33no) and Devdutt Padikkal (32) also contributed, but it was De Villiers who very much took centre stage with his highest score against KKR.
The Knight Riders could only make 112-9 in reply on a slow track, with the impressive Washington Sundar taking 2-20 from his four overs and Chris Morris 2-17.
All six RCB bowlers took at least one wicket and Yuzvendra Chahal finished with outstanding figures of 1-12 from the 24 deliveries he sent down.
Shubman Gill top-scored with 34 as only three Knight Riders batsman made double figures in an emphatic win that moved Kohli's side above their opponents into third.
DE VILLIERS GOES BESERK
RCB were 94-2 when De Villiers joined Kohli at the crease in the 13th over after Finch was cleaned up by a Prasidh Krishna yorker.
The mercurial South African upstaged captain Kohli with a breathtaking knock, twice launching Kamlesh Nagarkoti for six – one disappearing out of the ground – and taking 19 off the 17th over from Cummins.
De Villiers continued to dish out some brutal treatment, Russell going for 34 off his final two overs in a stunning blitz to concede a half-century of runs.
Kohli was content to give De Villiers the strike and the wicketkeeper-batsman finished with a staggering strike rate of 221.21 to leave KKR facing a huge run chase.
MISERLY SUNDAR PUTS KKR IN A SPIN
Sundar has not taken as many wickets as he deserves in the tournament so far, but the spinner has certainly made a significant impact.
He has an economy rate of 4.90 from seven matches, only bettered by team-mate Morris (4.50) – who has played just the two games.
Sundar bowled Nitish Rana and also saw the back of Eoin Morgan in a run chase that never really got going, Tom Banton out for eight on his IPL debut.
The wily Morris also had another good day out, picking up a couple of wickets when the writing was already on the wall for KKR.
South African great De Villiers made it three unbeaten half centuries for the tournament, lofting Jofra Archer over deep midwicket for his sixth maximum to make it 55 off 22 deliveries and seal the points with two balls to spare.
Rajasthan set Bangalore 177-6, as Steve Smith returned to form with an excellent 57 from 36 deliveries, but they have now lost four of their past five matches.
The Royal Challengers are third with six wins from nine outings and their other standout performer was Chris Morris, whose 4-24 include the scalps of Smith, Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes.
Bangalore lost Aaron Finch for 14 after a couple of sixes early in the run chase as the Australia opener sliced a slog sweep off Shreyas Gopal high into the air.
Skipper Virat Kohli (43) and Devdutt Padikkal combined in an assured stand of 79 for the second wicket but departed in consecutive balls when trying to force the pace, leaving their side 102-3 in the 14th over.
Enter De Villiers, who took the attack back to Rajasthan with able support from Gurkeerat Singh (19 not out). He made his move decisively at the start of the penultimate over, when he bludgeoned Jaydev Unadkat for three consecutive sixes.
Earlier, a reshuffled Rajasthan order paid dividends for their captain Smith, who dropped down to four after a succession of single-figure scores.
Robin Uthappa's breezy 41 accounted for the bulk of a half-century opening stand with Stokes (15) but they were 69-3 when Sanju Samson fell to Yuzvendra Chahal.
Smith rebuilt alongside Buttler (25) and remained until the final over, when Morris added the Australia star and Archer to his haul. It might have been enough, but for the inimitable De Villiers.
De Villiers turns in another masterclass
"I'm very, very nervous and erratic [in a run chase] and I get very stressed like any player," De Villiers said when being presented with the man-of-the-match award. Spare a thought for Unadkat, in that case. The left-armer might feel he was hung out to dry by Smith handing him the 19th over. His first delivery was crashed over midwicket, with a slower ball dispatched beyond wide long-on next ball.
A dismissive swipe over square leg followed before a single from an attempted yorker ended the assault. De Villiers and Gurkeerat still needed 11 from Archer's final over, but the momentum had unquestionably shifted.
Buttler loses out in Rajasthan reshuffle
While a move down the order worked for Smith, the same could not be said for England big-hitter Buttler. Demoted from opening alongside Stokes, he scored an unusually circumspect 24 off 25 deliveries before holing out to Morris.
The sole team yet to taste defeat in this season's competition, RCB surged to 204-4 thanks to an exceptional innings from Maxwell (78) and De Villiers' unbeaten 76.
Their respective displays contributed to three successive partnerships of over 50 runs to help RCB emphatically recover from a shaky start and post an imposing total.
KKR never found the necessary momentum to threaten that target despite a late salvo from Andre Russell (31) as RCB eased to a 38-run win.
Varun Chakravarthy removed both Virat Kohli (5) and Rajat Patidar (1) in the second over to reduce RCB to 9-2.
However, Maxwell and Devdutt Padikkal constructed a stand of 86 for the third wicket, laying the platform for De Villiers to hit the accelerator upon his arrival at the crease.
Maxwell and De Villiers combined for 53 off just 37 deliveries and, after the Australian was bounced out by compatriot Pat Cummins, the South African took command as he contributed 43 runs to a 20-ball, 56-run stand with Kyle Jamieson.
KKR saw a promising start to their reply undone as they slumped from 57-1 to 114-5 when skipper Eoin Morgan sliced Harshal Patel to opposing captain Kohli.
Russell gave them hope of a remarkable turnaround in the 17th over, in which he struck Yuzvendra Chahal for a six and three fours.
He then hit Jamieson for a maximum in the next over but that preceded the exits of Shakib Al Hasan and Cummins at the hands of the New Zealand international.
And the contest was settled by some superb death bowling from Mohammed Siraj in the penultimate over, with Russell then playing Harshal onto his stumps as a seemingly exciting finale gave way to a meek end.
Devastating De Villiers
Having been dismissed for one in RCB's last game with Sunrisers Hyderabad, De Villiers was back to his best with a 34-ball 76. His strike rate of 223.52 is the second-highest of any innings this season where the batsman has scored at least 50, behind Deepak Hooda's 28-ball 64 (228.57) for Punjab Kings against Rajasthan Royals.
Siraj stems the tide
Russell's surge was stopped firmly in its tracks by Siraj, who effectively clinched victory for RCB as his final over went for just one run, producing five successive dot balls as a frustrated Russell kept the strike while unable to find the boundary.
The Warriorz made 138-6 off their 20 overs after being put in to bat by the Capitals. Talia McGrath made 58* and captain Alyssa Healy made 36 against 3-26 off four overs from off-spinner Alice Capsey.
Meg Lanning (39), Capsey (34) and Marizanne Kapp (34*) then led a successful Delhi chase as the finalists needed just 17.5 overs to reach 142-5.
Pacer Shabnim Ismail took two wickets for the Warriorz.
With the league phase of the tournament now complete with all teams having played eight games, the Capitals, after finishing top-of-the-table with 12 points, are automatically into the final.
The Warriorz will have an opportunity to meet them there when they take on the Mumbai Indians, who finished as runners-up in the league phase, in the eliminator on Friday.
Earlier on Tuesday, Mumbai also finished the league phase with 12 points after a four-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Sr DY Patil Sports Academy in Mumbai.
RCB made 125-9 from their 20 overs after losing the toss. Ellyse Perry and Richa Ghosh both made 29 for RCB as Amelia Kerr continued her good form with the ball with 3-22 from her four overs for Mumbai. Nat Sciver-Brunt and Issy Wong also took two wickets each.
Kerr then completed a fine all-round performance with an unbeaten 31 while Yastika Bhatia made 30 and Hayley Matthews 24 as the Indians reached 129-6 in 16.3 overs.
The eliminator will be held at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy on Friday while the final will take place at the Brabourne Stadium on March 26.
The foundation for an 18-run win was laid as Du Plessis came four runs short of a century, his blistering 96 ensuring RCB reached 181-6 despite losing captain Virat Kohli for a duck.
Lucknow got a series of starts, including from skipper KL Rahul (30) and Krunal Pandya (42), but they could not put a match-winning partnership together.
A contributing factor to that failure was the brilliance of Hazlewood, whom RCB bought at this year's auction.
After his excellent performance against Delhi Capitals, Hazlewood provided further vindication of that decision by taking 4-25.
His last scalp, that of Australian compatriot Marcus Stoinis (24), effectively ended any hope Lucknow had of victory, with Jason Holder unable to recover the situation for the Super Giants in the final 10 balls.
RCB are level on 10 points with Gujarat Titans at the top of the table. Gujarat have the edge because of their superior net run rate.
No Faffing about
Having seen the top order crumble around him, with Dusmantha Chameera claiming the wickets of Anuj Rawat and Kohli in successive deliveries in the opening over and Glenn Maxwell departing for 23, Du Plessis took it upon himself to hold the RCB innings together.
He did so by hammering 11 fours and two sixes to record his joint-highest IPL score and his second half-century of the season.
Hazlewood's hot streak
The Super Giants must have known their luck was out when an initially ambitious looking review revealed Rahul had edged a leg-side delivery from Harshal Patel behind to the keeper.
Krunal gave them hope thereafter but eventually fell to Maxwell before Hazlewood removed Ayush Badoni and Stoinis to round off a superb display from the former Chennai Super Kings quick, who now has eight wickets in three games after taking 3-28 against Delhi.
The South African batted through his team's 20 overs, scoring 73 from 50 balls as RCB set their opponents a target of 193.
Opposite number Kane Williamson marched back to the pavilion without facing a ball, which set the tone as Sunrisers were bowled all out for 125, with Hasaranga taking 5-18.
Having won five of their first seven matches this season, Sunrisers have now lost their last four outings.
Things could not have started better for them as Jagadeesha Suchith claimed the wicket of Virat Kohli with the first ball of the match, but Du Plessis and Rajat Patidar (48) put on a partnership of 105 to rescue the innings.
Glenn Maxwell's 33 helped RCB tick along, before Dinesh Karthik came in with some fireworks at the end of the innings, hitting 30 from just eight balls, including three sixes and a four from the final four balls.
It was a disastrous start for Sunrisers, with Williamson run out without facing a ball, before fellow opener Abhishek Sharma was also dismissed without scoring by Maxwell.
Rahul Tripathi's 58 from 37 balls was the only real fight put up by Sunrisers, with Aiden Markram (21) and Nicholas Pooran (19) the only other batsmen to make double figures.
Hasaranga and Josh Hazlewood's economical bowling ensured there was never a question of who was going to win here, and Harshal Patel wrapped up the 67-run victory after dismissing Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
A captain's innings
Karthik may get some headlines after his explosive efforts in the final over, but Du Plessis was the spine of his team's innings, playing the entire 20 overs and setting the table for the win with his eight fours and two sixes.
Hasaranga and Hazlewood shine
Hasaranga was deadly with his four overs, taking out the middle order with exceptional ruthlessness, while Hazlewood was even more economical with his 2-17 from four overs.
It could have been even better for the Australian, who conceded seven of those runs in his final over to a nothing-to-lose attitude from 11th wicket partnership, Kumar and Fazalhaq Farooqi.
