AGENCY
NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s maiden T20 hundred went in vain as Gujarat Lions beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets in the 19th match of the Indian Premier League season nine at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday.
Gujarat jumped to the top of the standings with four victories in five games.
Kohli hit a six and two fours in the last over to reach the landmark and remained unbeaten on 100 off 63 balls, which included a six and 11 fours, as he put on an undefeated 121 runs for the third wicket with KL Rahul.
The duo helped RCB post a competitive total of 180/2, after electing to bat, scoring 104 runs in the final ten overs. The total though was in the end turned out to be insufficient as RCB bowlers leaked runs in abundance, especially Kane Richardson (1/53 in four overs) and Iqbal Abdulla (0/41 in his four).
Gujarat top-order batsmen click in unison on Sunday as they chased down the competitive target with three balls remaining. Dinesh Karthik top-scored for the hosts with an unbeaten 50 off 39 balls, which comprised just three boundaries, as he carried the team home in presence of other big-hitters with Dwayne Bravo finishing the chase with a boundary in his first ball.
Similar to RCB innings, Gujarat too gave respect ot first over, bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal, scoring three in it with two singles and a wide. But the Gujarat openers Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum decided to make a move in the next over, as Smith hit a six and McCullum a four to score 12 off Kane Richardson. Smith took charge of the chase soon, hitting a four, off a no-ball, and send the free-hit over mid-wicket for a six off Chahal’s next over. Smith then hit two more fours off Iqbal Abdulla to take Gujarat to 41 for no loss after four overs.
Richardson came back in the fifth and dismissed the Smith for 32, which came off 21 balls with the help of two maximums and three fours. McCullum immediately took charge as he scored twenty off the final four balls of the over. First the New Zealander smacked one over deep backward square leg, followed that with a four before unleasing next out of the park and finished the over with another four to clobbered 25 of it and took the hosts to 72/1 after Powerplay overs. (PTI)
score board
Royal Challengers Bangalore innings
V Kohli* not out 100
SR Watson c Jadeja b Kulkarni 06
AB de Villiers c Raina b Tambe 20
KL Rahul† not out 51
Extras 03
Total 180/2
Gujarat Lions innings
DR Smith c de Villiers b Richardson 32
BB McCullum c & b Shamsi 42
SK Raina* c Iqbal Abdulla b Chahal 28
KD Karthik† not out 50
RA Jadeja c †Rahul b Watson 12
DJ Bravo not out 04
Extras 14
Total 182/4
