Powered by a historic ninth IPL century from Virat Kohli, defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered a commanding six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday in a rain-delayed match in Raipur. The emphatic win not only showcased Kohli’s enduring brilliance but also propelled RCB to the top of the Indian Premier League points table, where they now sit with 16 points from 12 matches.
Kohli’s sublime knock, marked by precision, composure, and timely aggression, laid the foundation for a clinical chase, further underlining his status as one of the league’s greatest performers. With this milestone innings, he also extended his own record for the most centuries in IPL history, reinforcing his dominance in the tournament.
It was a classy performance from one of the greatest batters of all time, Virat Kohli, who made a strong comeback after a lean patch in the previous two matches and once again proved why he is regarded as a master of the chase.
Chasing 193 for victory, Kohli smashed an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls, studded with 11 boundaries and three sixes, and shared a match-defining 92-run partnership for the second wicket with Devdutt Padikkal (37 off 27 balls) to guide RCB to win in 19.1 overs.
Following the win, RCB climbed to the top of the table with 16 points, level with Gujarat Titans but ahead on net run rate.
Earlier, KKR keeper-batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi anchored the innings with a fine 71 as his side posted a competitive 192/4.
Raghuvanshi's 46-ball innings was studded with seven boundaries and three sixes.
He shared a crucial 68-run partnership for the third wicket with Cameron Green (32 off 24 balls) and another key 76-run stand for the fourth wicket with Rinku Singh (49 not out off 29 balls).
Brief Scores:
Kolkata Knight Riders: 192 for 4 in 20 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 71, Cameron Green 32, Rinku Singh 49; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/34).
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 194 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Virat Kohli 105 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 39; Kartik Tyagi 3/32).
(With inputs from PTI)
