Jaipur: Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli extended his record of most centuries in the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) history. He achieved this remarkable landmark during the match between RCB and Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Saturday.
Kohli smashed unbeaten 113 - his joint-highest score in the IPL, laced with 12 fours and four sixes. With this hundred, he became the first batter to have 7500+ runs in the IPL and has completed 8003 runs for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Currently, he has racked up 7579 runs in the one of the cash-rich league and 424 runs have came from his bat in the Champions League T20 (CL T20). So, for RCB he has scored.
The 35-year-old became the first-ever batter in IPL history to reach the milestone of 7500 runs when he scored his 34th run of the innings. Meanwhile, Kohli also surpassed Dhoni to to attain the second position in the list of Indian players with most IPL sixes. He is now the first player in the world to score 8000+ runs for a single team in the T20 format.
Kohli showed superb improvisation, from his wrist-rolled pulls, powerful swat flicks to steer through third man as he remained unbeaten on 113 off 72 balls and has now scored 38 percent of RCB's total runs so far.
Coming to the match, Barring the assistance received from his skipper Faf Du Plessis (44 from 33 balls), Kohli did not get any support from the other batters. After reaching his fifty in 39 balls, Kohli stepped up well and took just 28 balls for his next fifty as he reached the milestone with a single off Nandre Burger in the penultimate over.
Glenn Maxwell (1) and debutant left-hander Saurav Chauhan (9), who failed to replicate his Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 form, fell cheaply. Credit should go to RR spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin (0/28) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2/34) who stifled the proceedings in the middle overs.
Chahal was exceptional as he cleverly deceived the batters with his pace and variations by bowling googlies and sliders to fox the RCB batters.
Riyan had a chance to break the partnership but he dropped a tough return catch from Du Plessis on 36. Chahal finally broke the opening stand in an eventful 14th over, dismissing Du Plessis. In the same over, Kohli was dropped on 66, a tough chance by Burger at point, and then Boult grassed a sitter from the South African at extra cover. However in the next ball, Buttler made no mistake when Du Plessis went in for charge once again to be holed out at long-on.
He may have failed to impress with the new ball, but Burger came back strongly in the middle overs and beat Maxwell by angle and pace to clean up the Aussie dangerman for a three-ball one. (With agency inputs)
