Virat Kohli strikes at nearly 200, misses century in quest for big shot as RCB stay alive in playoff race

Synopsis: Virat Kohli made full use of two lives to play a match-defining knock and, along with Rajat Patidar, take RCB to a 241/7, before Punjab Kings fall well short and get knocked out.

Kohli makes them pay

Nobody means to drop catches but when a team drops those offered by Virat Kohli, not once but twice, it often fears the worst. Risk-free accumulation is the bedrock of Kohli’s batting, even in T20 cricket, and if he gets lives, it makes him even more determined to dig in.

Punjab Kings had already played into Kohli’s hands, in some ways, by omitting their pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada and their miserly left-arm finger spinner Harpreet Brar, the style of bowling that has often kept Kohli in check in T20s. That skipper Sam Curran chose to field first meant Punjab Kings were devoid of express pace at the start and economy in the middle. The foundation for the 60-run defeat that knocked them out of play-off contention was laid with the choices made before a ball was bowled.

Despite that, IPL debutant Vidwath Kaverappa should have got the prize wicket, if only Ashutosh Sharma – running back from cover – and Rilee Rossouw – diving at short cover – had held on to admittedly tough chances. Those were not the only catches dropped by the sloppy Punjab Kings, Harshal Patel dropping a dolly at deep backward square to reprieve Rajat Patidar, which kickstarted the onslaught by Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

9⃣2⃣ Runs
4⃣7⃣ Balls
7⃣ Fours
6⃣ Sixes

That was one dazzling knock in beautiful Dharamsala! 🙌 🙌 #TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB | @RCBTweets | @imVkohli

Relive Virat Kohli’s brilliant innings 🎥 🔽

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

Other than the dropped catches, Kohli lived a charmed life at the start of his innings, with many of his errant shots landing in vacant territory or in front of fielders. But one knew that it was a passing phase and if he stayed in the middle for any length of time, the fielding side would have to play. The lack of express pace in the bowling attack meant he could step down the track and hit over the top with freedom, one such shot going all the way even though one hand came off the bat.

RCB were 119/3 at the halfway mark, when a short interruption for rain and hail made it easier for batting, with the slightly two-paced nature of the wicket rectified. Hitting against spin has been mentioned as one of the recent issues in Kohli’s batting but on Thursday, he slog-swept Rahul Chahar and Liam Livingstone into the stands with impunity.

Going..Going..GONE!

Virat Kohli clobbers that delivery into the stands in grand fashion! 💥

Watch the match LIVE on @JioCinema and @StarSportsIndia 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB pic.twitter.com/Y5eVp7Q6fN

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

At the innings break, Kohli mentioned that he made it a point to maintain a high strike rate, which was very nearly 200 for the whole innings. Even a possible century didn’t deter him from going for the big hits in the death overs, perishing in the pursuit of quick runs. But his 92 off 47 balls had taken RCB well on the way to their fourth successive win in the competition. Kohli’s evening got even better when he ran out the dangerous Shashank Singh with a direct hit from the outfield.

Turbocharger Patidar

Patidar has taken it on himself to give the team momentum batting first even as Kohli settles in for the long haul. At Dharamsala, he could have been out without scoring, but the let-off only emboldened him to take the attack to the bowlers.

Patidar stood still at the crease, saw the ball early and hit it to all parts of the ground. Harshal Patel got him going with a full ball on leg-stump, which was dispatched through mid-wicket. He then showed both his touch and power in the same over, with a delicate late-cut and a drive past mid-off. Kaverappa was hit for six over long-on, but it was the arrival of Chahar that got Patidar in the mood. The first deliveries were long hops that went way beyond long-on and square leg.

As we wait for the play to resume in Dharamsala..

Recap resilient Rajat Patidar’s splendid knock 🎥🔽#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

The fifth ball of the over was full and offered a bit of width and was smashed beyond long-off. When Arshdeep Singh and Curran dug it short, they weren’t quick enough to trouble Curran and were deposited over the legside boundary. The second one brought a 21-ball half-century. There’s a lot of talk about RCB being a top-heavy team, and Patidar’s contribution in the middle order is a key factor as they remain in the running for a playoff spot.

Kings in name only

The last time Punjab Kings made the playoffs was 10 years ago, and if they were a football club in a league having promotion and relegation, they would be fighting to avoid the drop almost every season. The matches they win are one-off achievements — be it the highest successful T20 chase or two domestic players pulling off a memorable heist.

3⃣rd wicket for @mdsirajofficial! 👌 👌

4⃣th win on the bounce for @RCBTweets as they pocket 2⃣ more points after beating #PBKS by 60 runs in Dharamsala! 👏 👏

Watch the recap on @StarSportsIndia and @JioCinema 💻📱#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB pic.twitter.com/pWYfAkTvXZ

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 9, 2024

On Thursday, with their season on the line, they dropped two of their best bowlers in Rabada and Brar, and dropped at least three catches inside the Powerplay, which left them a mountain to climb in the second innings. Livingstone, brought in for the South African speedster, made a duck off two balls.

Even with the bat, apart from a brief flurry from Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw and some big shots from Shashank Singh, the rest of the batting was a damp squib, never threatening the score they were supposed to chase. It’s as if the team, and the franchise, expected to be knocked out of contention. If it happens every alternate season, it can be put down to inconsistency. But when it is a regular occurrence, the team and the decision-makers have to ask some hard questions and take a good look at themselves.

Brief scores: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 241/7 (Kohli 92, Patidar 55, Green 46; Harshal Patel 3/38, Vidwath Kaverappa 2/36) beat Punjab Kings 181 all out in 17 overs (Rossouw 61, Shashank Singh 37; Siraj 3/43) by 60 runs

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