In a must-win clash for both teams at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, Virat Kohli produced a vintage batting performance to keep Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) playoff hopes alive.
Kohli‘s brilliant knock of 92 off 47 balls guided RCB to 241/7 after being put in to bat first by Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Sam Curran. The fielders handed a couple of lifelines to Kohli, but the Bengaluru opener made the hosts pay heavily for missed opportunities, eventually playing a big part in his team’s 60-run victory at Dharamsala.
The match held massive significance for both RCB and PBKS in their pursuit of a playoff berth. For the losing team, it effectively meant elimination from the tournament. After a poor first half of the season, RCB had hoped for their way back into contention with three consecutive wins heading into this game.
RCB all-rounder Cameron Green was all praise for Kohli’s knock. “He played the vintage Virat that we all know. It was a beautiful watch from the other end. That’s the beauty of having Virat in your team, as an opposition you can’t give him that many chances,” said Green in the post-match press conference.
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Kohli, who was dropped without getting off the mark, made the most of the reprieve. Even as wickets fell at the other end, Kohli continued his onslaught, bringing up his fifth fifty of the season. He found Green (46 off 27) on the other end, as the duo added 92 runs for the fourth wicket to take RCB past the 200 mark.
“He’s always going to make you hurt, especially if you drop him three or four times. Early in his innings, he was trying to be aggressive. I think he looked like after a couple of dropped catches, he didn’t have much to lose,” added Green.
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In the chase, PBKS openers Jonny Bairstow and Rilee Rossouw got off to a blistering start. But once they departed in quick succession, the innings lost momentum. Despite a few cameos, the ever-increasing asking rate proved too much as PBKS were bundled out for 181 in 17 overs.
The win keeps RCB’s playoff hopes alive, though they still need to win their remaining two games against Delhi Capitals and Chennai Super Kings. For PBKS, the team has become the second to be eliminated from the 2024 edition after Mumbai Indians, and the Sam Curran-led side will be playing their remaining league stage games for pride.
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