An AB de Villiers-inspired Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Gujarat Lions in the first IPL qualifier, securing a place in Sundays final with a four-wicket win. De Villiers smashed five fours and five sixes in an unbeaten 79 off 47 balls as Bangalore brilliantly recovered from 29-5 to chase down 159 to win.In-form RCB skipper Virat Kohli fell for a duck, while big-hitters Chris Gayle (nine) and Shane Watson (one) were also out cheaply - Gujarat seamer Dhawal Kulkarni taking 4-14 in a devastating opening spell.But, well-supported by Stuart Binny (21 off 15 balls) and Iqbal Abdulla (33no off 25), De Villiers sensational knock saw Bangalore through with 10 balls to spare.Gujarat must now beat the winner of Wednesdays eliminator between Surnrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders to see RCB again in the final.Dwayne Smith had earlier blasted 73 off 41 balls - with six sixes and five fours - to help Gujarat recover from their own sloppy start of 9-3 inside the four overs.Bangalore had got off to the perfect start after Kohli won the toss and chose to bowl first - Gujarat openers Brendon McCullum (one) and Aaron Finch (four) falling in the same Abdulla (2-38) over, and skipper Suresh Raina (one) becoming the first of four Shane Watson (4-29) victims.But Smith showed his attacking intent with back-to-back fours off Abdulla in the fifth over and launched Yuzvendra Chahal for 16 in the 10thSmith reached his half century off his 31st ball by blasting Abdulla for six over long on in the 13th over, though Dinesh Karthik (26) - who he put on 85 with for the fourth wicket - fell to Chris Jordan (2-26) soon after. Matt Floyd is joined by Shane Warne and Shaun Pollock to discuss the Royal Challengers Bangalores victory over the Gujarat Lions in the IPL Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals in the final overs, although Gujarat did manage to score 21 from the penultimate over, despite Watson picking up a further two strikes in it.Disaster struck early in RCBs reply when Kohli chopped Kulkarni onto his stumps in the second over. The seamer then bowled Gayle and had Lokesh Rahul caught at slip in consecutive balls in his next over.Watson too fell to Smith at slip off Ravindra Jadeja (2-21), while Kulkarni picked up his fourth - Sachin Baby out for a duck - soon after.It looked like the Lions were cruising into the final, but for the fact that De Villiers was still in the middle, and he gave them fair warning of the big-hitting assault that awaited with back-to-back fours off Jadeja in the seventh over. Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli (R) and AB de Villiers celebrate Binny played his part too, taking 18 from Shadab Jakatis first over, though was out lbw to Jadeja soon after.With the run-rate required inching over 10 an over for the final six, De Villiers stepped up, smashing 10 in two balls off Smith, the first four seeing him through to 33-ball fifty.De Villiers and Abdulla struck a six each off Jakatis next over, while the latter struck three fours in a row off Dwayne Bravos 18th over.It left just three runs needed from the final two overs, and Bangalore duly got them in the next two deliveries sparking wild celebrations.Watch Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL eliminator from 3pm on Sky Sports 1 on Wednesday. The loser is knocked out, while the winner will face Bangalore in the second qualifier on Friday. 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Joao Cancelo Jersey .ca NBA Power Rankings, ahead of the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. STORRS, Conn. -- UConns new athletic director says hes waiting to hear from the Big 12 about its interest level in the school before reaching out with an official pitch to join the conference.The Big 12s school presidents on Tuesday moved closer to expansion, directing Commissioner Bob Bowlsby to begin evaluating schools interested in joining.UConns David Benedict, in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday, acknowledged the Huskies are interested in being evaluated.At this point in time the Power Five conferences certainly are looked to as the most competitive conferences, he said. They derive the most money from their multi-media agreements, their television agreements. And therefore, certainly we aspire to be in those conferences and compete at that level.UConn currently competes in most sports in the American Athletic Conference.Benedict was hired in March to succeed Warde Manuel after he left for Michigan. Benedict said of all possible candidates, UConn is the most similar to the Power Five schools, with $71 million athletic budget.He noted it was one of three division one schools this past year to send its football, baseball and mens and womens basketball teams to the postseason. And since 1995, UConn has won 11 womens national basketball championships, four mens basketball titles, two in field hockey and one in mens soccer. The schools football program also has been to six bowl games.But Benedict said he has no plans to pick up the phone and call Bowlsby or head to Texas with a PowerPoint presentation.He said its his understanding that the Big 12 will reaach out to those it knows have an interest.dddddddddddd dont think circumventing that process is the way to go, he said. But I dont think there is a question as to whether or not the Big 12 is aware that we would have an interest if they are interested in us.Benedict said if the school does join the Big 12, he believes it would eventually need to expand its 40,000-seat football stadium in East Hartford. But he said they cant do that until Husky fans consistently sell out the building.He said the school is currently concentrating its efforts on raising private donations to upgrade its baseball, softball, soccer and hockey facilities. There is still no timetable for construction, but Benedict said the school has about $14 million committed to the project, with a goal of raising another $11 million.Thats a priority for us, because it also sends out the message that we are going to invest in facilities that are up to (Power Five) standard, he saidBenedict said an intact American Conference is still a viable alternative should the Huskies be passed over by the Power Five. But he said the idea that UConn would consider rejoining the Big East for sports other than football is not currently on the table.Everybody is jockeying for position, he said. Part of my role and responsibility is making sure were looking at all options, keeping all options open to make sure we put ourselves as a university and an athletics program in the best possible position to compete. ' ' '