Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) captain Virat Kohli’s youth coach Rajkumar Sharma praised the batsman after his match-winning performance against the Punjab Kings (PBKS) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday. Kohli’s batting masterclass combined with the finishing touches from Karthik and Mahipal Lomror to secure a four-wicket win for RCB against PBKS at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
After Kohlis’ 77-run innings, Rajkumar took to his official social media account, Instagram, and posted a picture of the 35-year-old from the match with the caption: “His bat does the talking”.
Instagram post of Virat Kohli’s childhood coach. pic.twitter.com/gd2lRl8NUd
– Johannes. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 25, 2024
Kohli registered a unique record during the match. The opener completed his 100th T20 plus score of fifty, becoming the first Indian and only third player overall to do so.
The match saw the 35-year-old back to his best after a disappointing outing against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He scored 77 runs in 49 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes. He scored his runs at a strike rate of over 157.
In 378 appearances, Virat scored 12,092 runs at an average of 41.26, with eight centuries and 92 fifties. His best score is 122*. Virat is India’s leading T20 rungetter and is sixth in the overall standings.
In terms of most scores over fifty, Virat tops: West Indian batsman Chris Gayle (110 scores over fifty, including 22 centuries) and Australian great David Warner (109 scores over fifty, including eight centuries).
The match saw Punjab Kings (PBKS) see their batters get a start but none of them could convert it into anything big. Skipper Shikhar Dhawan (45 in 37 balls with five fours and a six), Jitesh Sharma (27 in 20 balls with a four and two sixes) and Sam Curran (23 in 17 balls) played decent knocks, but on a stroke-friendly Chinnaswammy track , PBKS could only muster 176/6 in 20 overs.
Mohammed Siraj (26/2) and Glenn Maxwell (29/2) took two scalps each. Yash Dayal and Alzarri Joseph took a wicket each.
Chasing 177, RCB continued to lose wickets at regular intervals, but Virat (77 in 49 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes) steadied the ship at the other end. After his dismissal, things became difficult for RCB, but finishes from Dinesh Karthik (28* in 10 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Mahipal Lomror (17* in eight balls, with two fours and a six) guided the team to a four-wicket win with four balls to spare.
Harpreet Brar (2/13) and Kagiso Rabada (2/23) were the pick of the bowlers for PBKS.
Kohli was named Player of the Match for a stellar innings.
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