Virat Kohli’s century against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad powers Royal Challengers Bangalore to a blistering win. This must-win match brings RCB a step closer to qualification for the playoffs, with one more match to go.
Royal Challengers Bangalore claimed a dominating victory over the hosts Sunrisers Hyderabad on Thursday night at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. The hosts had posted a convincing total of 186 courtesy of Heinrich Klaasen’s blistering 104 runs off just 51 balls, leaving the visitors to chase down a mammoth 187 in 120 balls. At the halfway-mark of the match, the visitors had to chase down the total with an average of 9.35 runs per over. RCB’s chase was commenced by two stalwarts of the game, former RCB and Team India captain Virat Kohli, and former South African captain as well as present RCB captain Faf du Plessis.
The Run Chase
Virat Kohli got off to a flying start with a classy drive which went for a boundary. It was followed by another boundary off a lofted square cut. The first over of Bhuvneshwar Kumar thus went for 8 runs. Kohli followed up that brisk start with another pair of boundaries in the following over, which went for 12 runs courtesy a couple of doubles from Virat and Faf. At the end of the powerplay, RCB were 64/0 with a run rate of more than 10. The opening duo powered through the middle overs and the death overs till the 18th over, when SRH got their first wicket at the fag end of the innings.
Faf lost his wicket soon after Virat, but it was already too late for SRH. Maxwell and Bracewell quickly wrapped up the run chase in 19.2 overs with 4 balls to spare and 8 wickets in hand as RCB handed SRH their 9th loss of the season. This marked RCB’s 7th victory out of 13 matches played this season, and an important victory at that.
A century after 4 years
The carnage by Virat Kohli on Thursday night marked his 6th century in the history of Indian Premier League. The only other batsman who has scored 6 centuries is Virat’s former RCB teammate Chris Gayle. Virat now equals the record for most centuries in IPL. This 6th century for Virat comes after 4 years, with his last century scored against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2019. The other 4 centuries for Virat came in the seminal season of 2016, where Virat had registered his best numbers for an IPL season.
This 6th century consisted of 12 classy boundaries, and 4 powerful sixes, reaching his 100 in just 62 balls. Virat got out the very next ball off the bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
The way forward for RCB
Registering their 7th win out of 13, RCB sit on the edge of the playoffs cutoff, with 14 points and a Net Run Rate (NRR) of +0.180. If they win their last match against the table-toppers and the defending champions Gujarat Titans on 21st May at their home ground M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, then they are guaranteed a playoff berth.
However, if they lose the game, their qualification will be subject to the result between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad’s match. If both RCB and MI lose their matches, and Rajasthan Royals win their match against Punjab Kings, it will be a three-way tie which will be decided by the best NRR. Thus, the next game against GT is a must-win for RCB, with qualification just a heartbeat away.
