IPL 2022, RCB vs GT: Netizens hail Virat Kohli as Bangalore topples Gujarat by 8 wickets
On Thursday, Royal Challengers Bangalore demolished Gujarat Titans by eight wickets in IPL 2022. Virat Kohli slammed his second 50 of the season as netizens hailed him and Faf du Plessis.
FollowIt was a splendid batting show by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against new team Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match 67 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, RCB demolished the table-topper GT by eight wickets. The latter had no implications from the defeat, having already sealed its place in the playoffs. As for RCB, the victory kept it alive in the playoffs race, while openers Virat Kohli and Fa du Plessis had significant roles to play in the same. In the meantime, netizens hailed the former for slamming a much-needed half-century for his good.
As for Kohli, it happened to be his second 50 of IPL 2022, besides being his 44th of the tournament to date. As he played a sublime knock of 70, he also scored 7,000 runs in his Twenty20 (T20) career and became the first to do so for a single team. Next to him is Suresh Raina, 5,529 for four-time defending champion Chennai Super Kings (CSK).
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Considering the match, GT skipper Hardik Pandya opted to bat, as it lost a couple of wickets by the sixth over of the powerplay, with 38 runs on the board. Although opener Wriddhiman Saha (31) and Pandya (62) added 28 more for the third wicket, the former was unfortunately run out in the ninth. Nonetheless, Pandya and David Miller (34) took control of the innings thereon and contributed 61 for the fourth wicket before the latter was dismissed by leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga in the 17th, at 123.
At this time, Pandya scored his eighth IPL half-century, while eventually, GT went on to post an above-par total of 168/5. For RCB, pacer Josh Hazlewood claimed a couple, while fellow pacer Harshal Patel did a good job economically. In reply, Kohli and du Plessis (44) gave a resounding start, putting on a 115-run opening partnership to keep RCB firmly in the chase.
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During this stand, Kohli brought up his 50, while in the 15th, the stand was broken by leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who dismissed the du Plessis. Kohli and Glenn Maxwell (40*) added 31 more before the former fell to the same man in the 17th. However, things hardly mattered anymore, as it was too late for GT to defend the total, with Maxwell ensuring that RCB saw the chase through by eight wickets, with eight balls to spare.
For GT, besides Rashid being the only lad to pick up the two wickets, orthodox spinner Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore was heavily economical, but to no avail. On the other hand, RCB's win has knocked Punjab Kings (PBKS) and former champion SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) out of the playoffs race, with Delhi Capitals (DC) being the only team remaining in the race, as RCB rises to the fourth place, for now.
Brief scores: GT 168/5 (Saha- 31, Pandya- 62*, Miller- 34; Hazlewood- 2/39) lost to RCB 170/2 in 18.4 overs (Kohli- 73, du Plessis- 44, Maxwell- 40*; Rashid- 2/32) by eight wickets.
