Skipper Virat Kohli scripted yet another magnificent century to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a dominating 82-run win over bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab via Duckworth Lewis method in a rain-hit IPL clash and stay on course for a play-off berth.
Kohli (113 off 50 balls) battled immense physical pain to notch up his fourth century in the ongoing IPL season to power Royal Challengers to an imposing 211 for three.
The hosts then returned to dismiss/restrict Kings XI for 120 for nine in 14 overs to register their seventh win and reach the second spot in points table with 14 points in 13 matches.
They are now tied at 14 points with Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions.
Kohli, who had sustained multiple stitches due to a split webbing in his left hand, hit 12 fours and eight sixes and along with Chris Gayle (73) amassed a whirlwind 147-run opening stand to help RCB post an imposing total after the match was reduced to a 15-over affair following rain.
Kohli became the only batsman to score more than 800 runs in a single edition.
His tally stands at 865 runs from 13 matches.
Kohli, who had sustained multiple stitches due to his split webbing on left hand during the last match against Kolkata Knight Riders, gestured at it once he reached the three-figure landmark in the 14th over.
The RCB skipper blasted 12 fours and eight sixes as he piled 96 runs in 20 scoring strokes, while his opening partner Chris Gayle smashed a scintillating 32-ball 73 with the help of four boundaries and eight sixes.
The duo butchered the Kings XI Punjab bowlers with a whirlwind 147-run opening stand to lay the foundation for a huge score.
Earlier, with heavy rain delaying the start, the match was reduced to a 15-over affair and Kings XI Punjab skipper Murali Vijay won the toss and elected to bowl.
Kohli continued his rampaging form and with Gayle firing early on, the duo amassed 53 runs without loss in the Powerplay overs.
The RCB skipper reached his fifty in 28 balls and along with Gayle brought up the team hundred in 8.5 overs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Gayle reached his 50 off 26 balls in the ninth over with the help of a flat six off Axar Patel over deep midwicket. However, he was dismissed in the 11th over when he was caught by David Miller at long-off.
Four balls later, AB de villiers (0) was sent back to the pavilion by Kyle Abbott when the South African was trying to make room to play a shot only to end up dragging it back onto the stumps.
In the 14th over, Kohli blasted Sharma for a six and a four before another attempt to sent him out of the park ended with a mishit, which was safely caught by Miller at long-off.
Chasing a mammoth 212 to win, none of the Kings XI batsmen could stitch a partnership as the pressure to hit big shots saw them make their back way to the hut.
Wriddhiman Saha (24) was the top-scorer for Punjab.
For Bangalore, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (4-25) returned with a four-wicket haul, while Sreenath Aravind (2-18) and Shane Watson (2-7) scalped two wickets each.
In the end, Punjab were 120-9 with just one over to go when heavens opened up again and the result of the match was decided by the Duckworth Lewis method.
© 2024 Rediff.com -