BENGALURU: Right-hand batter Virat Kohli’s unbeaten knock of 83 runs guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to 182/6 in their 20 overs against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and asked the hosts, RCB to bat first.
Batters Faf Du Plessis and Virat Kohli came out to the crease to open the innings. Both batters put on a partnership of 17 runs before the skipper, Du Plessis was sent back to the pavillion after scoring eight runs on the bowling of Harshit Rana in the second over.
After the skipper’s dismissal, right-hand batter Cameron Green came to bat. The side completed their 50 on the fourth ball of the sixth over as Green slammed a boundary on the bowling of Sunil Narine.
Kohli and Green completed their 50-run partnership. Kohli pushed the ball bowled by Narine for a double on the third ball of the eighth over.
The Australian all-rounder was dismissed by Andre Russell on the last ball of the ninth over when the team score was 82 after scoring 33 runs off 21 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes.
Glenn Maxwell came to bat next in the middle after Green’s dismissal.
Kohli completed his 50 in the 11th over as he took a single on the bowling of Varn Chakravarthy. In the same over the Bengaluru franchise crossed the 100-run mark as Maxwell smashed a boundary on the penultimate ball of the over.
Maxwell was dismissed after scoring 28 runs in 19 balls with three fours and a six. The right-hand batter was dismissed by Narine. He along with Kohli built a partnership of 42 runs.
After Maxwell’s wicket, Rajat Patidar came to bat. He was dismissed when the team score was 144. The right-hand batter scored just three runs before going back to the dressing room.
After Patider’s departure, wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat came to bat. He was able to score only three runs before getting dismissed in the 18th over at a score of 151.
In the end, Dinesh Karthik played a quicfire cameo of 20 runs from just eight balls with the help of three maximums and Kohli finished his innings on unbeaten 83 runs in 59 balls which was laced with four boundaries and four sxes.
For the visitors, KKR, two wickets each were grabbed by Harshit Rana and Russell in their spell of four overs where they conceded 39 runs in their respective spells. One wicket was bagged by Sunil Narine in their respective spells of four overs where he conceded 40 runs.
Brief Score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 182/6 in 20 overs (Virat Kohli 83*, Cameron Green 33, Andre Russell 2/29) vs Kolkata Knight Riders. (ANI)