Vintage Kohli ton propels Royal Challengers to 183

The star batter, who registered his eighth hundred in the tournament, remains unbeaten on 113; Royals bowlers struggle in the PowerPlay for the first time this season

There aren’t too many venues that Virat Kohli hasn’t graced with at least one fifty. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium had been one, but not anymore.

The master batter corrected that anomaly on Saturday night with not just a fifty, but a hundred. His eighth IPL century (113 n.o., 72b, 12x4, 4x6) also ensured that the orange cap sat firmly on his head, with 316 runs from five innings.

Riding on his splendid knock, which featured some spectacular shots only he could have played, Royal Challengers Bengaluru made 183 for three after being sent in by Rajasthan Royals.

RCB’s batting has this season been more of a solo effort by Kohli, and on this night too he scored the high percentage of his team’s runs. But he did get support from captain Faf du Plessis, who may not have looked at his fluent best.

Kohli and du Plessis (44, 33b, 2x4, 2x6) put on 125 for the first wicket. It was by far the best start for RCB this season, as the Royals bowlers struggled in the PowerPlay for the first time this year.

Surviving Trent Boult’s first over without giving away a wicket is an achievement. His fellow leftarm quick Nandre Burger wasn’t spared either, as RCB raced to 42 for no loss after four overs. Sanju Samson brought in R. Ashwin in the next over, in which he gave away just three.

Kohli was more cautious

Royals had made 170 for four in 17 overs with Buttler driving the chase with an unbeaten 88 off 49 balls. Hetmyer was giving him company on five. Skipper Samson made a 42ball 69

against Ashwin and the other spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, but he relished pace. He had indicated he was in nice touch from early on, with a wristy flick to squareleg for four against Burger and then a gorgeous swivelled pull for six against the same bowler in the following over.

It took him 67 balls to reach his hundred though, equalling Manish Pandey’s dubious record. There was another failure for Glenn Maxwell — he made room for himself against Burger only to find his stumps get rattled by Burger — and the move to send the debutant Saurav Chahan at No. 4 didn’t click. RCB was also pegged back by tight penultimate over from Burger, in which he conceded only four.