Virat Kohli came back to form with a magnificent half-century as Royal Challengers Bangalore kept alive in the IPL playoff chase with a crushing eight-wicket victory over table leaders Gujarat Titans on Thursday (May 19).
After captain Hardik Pandya hit a gritty 47-ball 62 to propel GT to a competitive 168 for five after deciding to bat.
Kohli (73 off 54) and skipper Fa du Plessis (44 off 38) had a match-winning 115-run opening partnership before Glenn Maxwell (40 not out off 18) went ballistic to guarantee the side came home in 18.4 overs.
By this victory, RCB ascended to the fourth position in the rankings with 16 points but would have to wait for the Delhi Capitals-Mumbai Indians game on Saturday to discover their destiny.
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A defeat for Delhi will assure RCB a play-off spot. As the ‘Kohli Kohli’ shouts implied, the entire Wankhede and possibly the nation wanted to see the former India captain back amongst the runs, and with a little bit of luck coming his way, he was around playing the shots he is renowned for.
When Kohi selected Mohammed Shami for two lofted boundaries over the bowler’s head and covered in the third over, it appeared it would be his night.
His next four was a streaky one-off Hardik, who bowled with the new ball. The very next ball, Kohli was at his energetic best as he blasted Hardik towards square leg with Rashid Khan missing a difficult chance in the deep.
An indication of his rising confidence was an airborne straight drive off Rashid. Kohli was fast on his feet both against Rashid and the pacers. The Indian superstar brought up his second fifty of the season by blasting a whole ball off Rashid over deep midwicket.
With Kohli on the song, Du Plessis performed his job wonderfully and continued rotating the strike except for an occasional boundary.
After the captain’s dismissal, Maxwell joined Kohli and went ballistic from ball one. The Australian’s cameo featured a reverse scoop shot off Hardik that went all the way.
After collecting his second six off Rashid, Kohli attempted one too many and was stumped in the 17th over, but the work had been done well and thoroughly.
Earlier, Hardik raised GT to a competitive total. Coming into the game with a spate of poor scores, he warmed up nicely for the play-offs with a neatly composed fifty even though he was not at his fluid best.
RCB reduced GT to 72 in 10 overs, partly thanks to their brilliance in the field despite Wriddhiman Saha’s (31 off 22) dangerous stay in the middle.
Saha produced another fast start with some crisp hitting, but his opening partner Shubman Gill fell cheaply.
The right-hander jabbed at a nice length ball, and Maxwell, positioned at a widish first slip, grabbed a magnificent one-handed catch diving to his right.
Matthew Wade, who has not been at his explosive best in the IPL, succumbed to a contentious judgment that elicited Kohli’s empathy. Wade was adamant that he under-edged a sweep shot off Maxwell and spent little time reviewing the on-field decision, which was out.
However, despite a distinct variation in the ball’s trajectory before it thudded onto the pads, the UltraEdge did not identify it. The TV umpire remained with the on-field umpire’s ruling. Wade had no alternative but to stroll back into the dugout unwillingly.
Saha, who struck four boundaries and a six, had Hardik for company in the middle. Still, after a mix-up with his skipper, the wicketkeeper went dangerously short of his crease as Du Plessis came up with a spectacular straight shot from mid-off.
Hardik, who was dropped on 14, made it count with David Miller (34 off 25), who extended his impressive run in the competition. Miller hammered three sixes before Wanindu Hasaranga got rid of him with a crisp return catch.
Rashid (19, not out of six) joined Hardik in the death overs and performed what he has done over the season. The leg-spinner smacked two sixes near the finish to put the total above 160.
