Picture : Twitter / IPL
Royal Challengers Bangalore needed some inspiration and skipper Virat Kohli provided that. The superstar and skipper of the Indian team, and the best batsman in world cricket in all formats, showed why he is the best. Kohli smashed his 5th IPL ton, and first this season, hitting a blistering 100 off mere 58 balls with 9 fours and four sixes.
Put in to bat by Dinesh Karthik , RCB posted huge 213 / 4 in 20 overs. Parthiv Patel ( 11) , Akshdeep Nath ( 13 ) fell quickly. But the innings got momentum thanks to stunning knock by Moeen Ali . Ali was brilliant in his 28 ball 66 that shocked KKR. Ali smashed five fours and six sixes and hit 27 runs in Kuldeep Yadav over. Then Marcus Stoinis hit some lusty blows to remain unbeaten 17 off 8 balls.
For KKr the bowling figures were Harry Gurney 1/ 42 ( 4 overs) , Sunil Narine 1/ 32 ( 4 overs) , Prasidh Krishna was expensive 0/ 52 ( 4 overs), Kuldeep Yadav had a poor night 1/ 59 ( 4 overs)
Chasing a mammoth 214 for win, KKR were struggling from the start.Chris Lynn ( 1) , Sunil Narine ( 18), Shubman Gill ( 9), Robin Uthappa ( 9) But a sensational stand between Andre Russell and Nitish Rana almost pulled it off.
Needing 113 runs off the last six overs, Russell (65 off 25 balls, 2 fours 9 sixes ) and Rana (85 not out off 46, 9 fours five sixes) gave RCB nightmares. But calm Moeen Ali defended 24 of the last over. KKR finished at 203 / 5.
It was RCB’s only second win in the tournament.
For RCB , Dale Steyn’s addition gave the bowling gave the RCB much needed fire-power. Steyn took 2/ 40 ( 4 overs)
Navdeep Saini 1/ 31 ( 4 overs) , Marcus Stoinis 1/ 32 ( 4 overs)
