RAIPUR: A magnificent century from Virat Kohli powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thrilling six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in a rain-affected IPL encounter held in Raipur on Wednesday. The match experienced a delayed start of 75 minutes due to persistent rain before play finally got underway.
Kohli emerged as the undisputed hero of the evening with a sensational unbeaten century that anchored Bengaluru's successful chase. Pursuing a challenging target of 193 runs, the veteran batter led from the front with a commanding knock of 105 not out off just 60 deliveries. His brilliant innings was decorated with 11 boundaries and three towering sixes as he dismantled the KKR bowling attack with remarkable ease and confidence. Thanks to his masterclass, Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down the target with five balls remaining to secure an impressive victory.
The hundred marked the ninth IPL century of Kohli's illustrious career, further extending his record for the most centuries in the tournament's history. Jos Buttler follows him on the list with seven IPL hundreds to his name.
During the chase, Kohli also received valuable support from captain Devdutt Padikkal, who played a fluent knock of 39 runs from 27 balls, including seven crisp boundaries. The pair stitched together a crucial 92-run partnership for the second wicket, which laid the foundation for Bengaluru's successful pursuit of the target.
Earlier in the evening, a sublime half-century from Angkrish Raghuvanshi, followed by a late blitz from Rinku Singh, propelled Kolkata Knight Riders to a formidable total of 192/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Raghuvanshi played a classy innings of 71 runs off 46 balls, striking seven fours and three sixes during his entertaining stay at the crease. In the closing stages, Rinku Singh provided the finishing flourish with a blistering unbeaten 49 off 29 deliveries, smashing three boundaries and two sixes to push KKR 192-4 in 20 overs. (Agencies)
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