Dharamsala, May 9 (IANS): Virat Kohli top-scored with 92 off 47 balls as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) posted a massive 241/7 in 20 overs against Punjab Kings in Match 58 of Indian Premier League 2024 at the HPCA Stadium on Thursday. It is also RCB’s fourth-highest overall total in the tournament.
Kohli hit seven fours and six sixes at a strike-rate of 195.74 in his vintage knock which also took him past the 600-run mark in IPL 2024. He was ably supported by Rajat Patidar, who struck 55, his fourth fifty of the season.
For PBKS, pacer Harshal Patel took 3-38, taking his IPL 2024 wickets tally to 20, while debutant fast-bowler Vidwath Kaverappa took 2-36, including a terrific Power-play spell, though the hosts were sloppy in their fielding.
Kohli could have been out on the third ball of the innings if Ashutosh Sharma had not dropped a difficult catch at point off Kaverappa. Faf du Plessis got going with back-to-back fours through extra-cover off Kaverappa, who had the last laugh by having the RCB skipper hole out to deep point in the third over.
In the same over of Kaverappa, Kohli got another life on 10 when Rilee Rossouw dropped another difficult catch at extra cover. Kohli and Will Jacks hit three boundaries collectively to take 16 runs off Sam Curran in the fourth over before Kaverappa had the latter sweeping to short fine-leg.
But Kaverappa had to see a third catch dropped by PBKS off his bowling, as Patidar’s chance was shelled by Harshal Patel at deep fine-leg while on zero. Patidar smacked Harshal for three boundaries in a 12-run sixth over, before he and Kohli took a six each in Kaverappa’s final over.
Patidar stepped up the attack against spinners by smacking Rahul Chahar for three sixes in his first over and was given another life when Jonny Bairstow was late to react to a catch behind. He would get his fifty in 21 balls when he pulled Sam Curran over a short fine leg for six, before nicking behind to keeper off the left-arm pacer.
Following a 33-minute rain and hail interruption, Kohli got his fifty in 32 balls with a vintage flick through mid-wicket for four off Liam Livingstone. He continued to nail authoritative boundaries mixed with nonchalance and vintage stroke-play to the delight of fans chanting ‘Kohli, Kohli’.
But Kohli fell eight runs short of his second century this season when he sliced an Arshdeep Singh delivery to deep third man in the 18th over. Dinesh Karthik hit three quick boundaries before holing out to long-on off Harshal, who castled Mahipal Lomror and had Cameron Green miscuing in the deep on the last ball of the innings.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 241/7 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 92, Rajat Patidar 55; Harshal Patel 3-38, Vidwath Kaverappa 2-36) against Punjab Kings