Shane Warne (22) repaid Symonds in the same coin by hitting him for two successive sixes in the final over to script his team’s victory.

Chasing 215 for victory, Royals overhauled the target with a ball to spare, Warne coming up with a 22-run cameo off just nine balls.

Requiring 17 off the final over, Warne twice hit Sym-onds over the ropes to seal a nail-biting win, consigning the Chargers to their third consecutive loss.

Royals made a fitting reply through Yusuf Pathan (61), Graeme Smith (71) and Mohammad Kaif (34) after the hosts had piled up 214 for five, largely built around Symonds’ unbeaten 117, upon being put in by Warne.

Pathan and Smith, who made his IPL debut, shared a crucial 98-run partnership for the second wicket. The required run-rate soared after the departure of Pathan, who hit six sixes and four boundaries, but Kaif hit three sixes in 15th over bowled by Symonds to keep the target within reach.

Shahid Afridi (3/27) removed Kaif and Smith in the 17th over and conceded just six runs. Rudra Pratap Singh then castled Ravindra Jadeja with a perfect yorker, apart from effecting the run out of Dinesh Salunkhe (1) in the penultimate over and it looked like the Chargers would finally taste victory.

However, Warne had other ideas as the hosts slumped to a heart-breaking loss at home.

Earlier, Symonds weaved a 111-run fourth-wicket sta-nd with Rohit Sharma (36) on his way to the fastest IPL ton, off just 47 deliveries.

His unbeaten 117, studded with seven sixes and 11 boundaries, came off 53 balls, Symonds reaching three-figures with a huge six over long-on off Warne.

Paceman Munaf Patel and Warne bore the brunt of the Symonds fury, conceding 55 and 47 runs respectively in their quota of four overs.

Chargers skipper VVS Laxman opened the batting with Australian Adam Gilchrist and the duo put on 22 for the first wicket before Pathan’s double strike in the third over. Pathan dismissed the dangerous Gilchrist (13) off the second ball, stumped by Kamran Akmal. Afridi hit a six and a four before holing out to mid-on while attempting a big shot.

Laxman (16) and Symon-ds added 43, helping the ho-sts recover from 32 for two and setting the platform for the big score. Laxman fell to the first ball he faced from Warne, but Symonds found an able ally in Rohit as runs came in a rush though in the end, they weren’t enough.

SCOREBOARD