Kohli played a match-winning knock of 73* against PBKS.
Virat Kohli played a key role with the bat in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) seven-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS) in Chandigarh on Sunday (April 20).
Opting to bowl first, RCB restricted PBKS to 157/6 in 20 overs as the spin duo of Krunal Pandya (2/25) and Suyash Sharma (2/26) shared four wickets between them.
During the chase, the visitors lost Phil Salt in the very first over for just 1. However, Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal shared a 103-run stand for the second wicket to put RCB in a commanding position.
While Padikkal fell after scoring 61 off 35 balls, Kohli remained unbeaten on 73* off 54 balls to take RCB over the line with seven deliveries to spare.
As soon as Jitesh Sharma’s six off Nehal Wadhera sealed the deal for RCB, Virat Kohli turned towards PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer and celebrated in an animated manner.
However, Iyer smiled and nodded, unperturbed by Kohli’s fiery celebration. Both players also embraced each other some moments later.
Here’s the video:
Earlier, RCB restricted PBKS to 157/6 in 20 overs as the spin duo of Krunal Pandya (2/25) and Suyash Sharma (2/26) shared four wickets between them.
The hosts struggled to build momentum with RCB striking at regular intervals. Opener Prabhsimran Singh top-scored for Punjab with a 17-ball 33.
With this victory, RCB jumped to third spot in the team standings, with 10 points under their belt from 8 outings. On the other hand, PBKS slipped to the fourth position.