Virat Kohli added yet another glittering milestone to his illustrious T20 career, becoming only the second batter in history to notch up 100 T20 half-centuries, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru cruised to a dominant nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals.
In a run chase of 174 on a tricky, low-bounce Jaipur pitch, Kohli played the perfect anchor, letting Phil Salt's fireworks at the other end set the tone before calmly steering the rest of the innings. Salt's 33-ball 65 was a whirlwind of power-hitting, but it was Kohli's composed, unbeaten 62 off 45 balls that ensured RCB’s fourth away win this season and propelled them to third place on the points table.
Kohli's landmark moment came in the 15th over, when he gracefully lofted an in-drifter down the ground for a six to bring up his 100th T20 fifty, equalling David Warner's elite record. The stylish shot, followed by his trademark celebration, was a testament to his class and longevity in the format.
But Kohli's innings wasn’t without drama. On just 7, he survived a scare in the fourth over when he mistimed a lofted stroke off Sandeep Sharma. Riyan Parag, tracking back from mid-off with the sun in his eyes, got under it but spilled the catch — a costly miss RR would come to rue.
Kohli's knock featured four fours and two sixes, his third half-century of IPL 2025, and more importantly, it reinforced his reputation as the Chase Master — calm under pressure, clinical in execution.
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