Former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli’s childhood coach, Rajkumar Sharma, hailed the batter’s match-winning performance against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday. Kohli’s batting masterclass, combined with finishing touches from Dinesh Karthik and Mahipal Lomror, sealed a four-wicket win for RCB at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Kohli’s 77-run innings was a testament to his class and experience. He registered a unique record during the match, becoming the first Indian and overall only third player to score 100 T20 fifty-plus scores. The 35-year-old was back at his vintage best, scoring 77 runs in 49 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes. He scored his runs at a strike rate of over 157.
In 378 appearances, Kohli has scored 12,092 runs at an average of 41.26, with eight centuries and 92 fifties. His best score is 122*. Virat is India’s leading T20 run getter and overall sixth.
In terms of most fifty-plus scores, above Kohli are West Indies batting great Chris Gayle (110 fifty-plus scores including 22 centuries) and Australian great David Warner (109 fifty-plus scores including eight centuries).
Coming to the match, Punjab Kings (PBKS) saw their batters getting starts but none of them could convert it into something big. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan (45 in 37 balls with five fours and a six), Jitesh Sharma (27 in 20 balls with a four and two sixes), and Sam Curran (23 in 17 balls) played decent knocks, but on a batting-friendly Chinnaswammy track, PBKS could muster only 176/6 in 20 overs.
Mohammed Siraj (2/26) and Glenn Maxwell (2/29) took two scalps each. Yash Dayal and Alzarri Joseph took a wicket each.
In the chase of 177, RCB continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, but Kohli (77 in 49 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes) held the ship steady at the other end. After his dismissal, things got tricky for RCB, but finishing from Dinesh Karthik (28* in 10 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Mahipal Lomror (17* in eight balls, with two fours and a six) guided the team to a four-wicket win with four balls left.
Harpreet Brar (2/13) and Kagiso Rabada (2/23) were the pick of the bowlers for PBKS.
Kohli was awarded the Player of the Match for his marvelous innings.
