Kohli’s 100th T20 fifty guides RCB to Punjab win

India’s batting maestro Virat Kohli starred with a brisk 77-run knock to steer Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a four-wicket victory against Punjab Kings in an Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture on Monday night.

An absorbing contest at the packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the home side chased down their 177-run target with four balls in the bank, bouncing back from their season-opening defeat against Chennai Super Kings.

Around halfway in the chase, it appeared that RCB was cruising with score at 102 for three after 12 overs, with Kohli batting on 63 and fellow superstar from Australia, Glenn Maxwell, new at the crease. Kohli 51st IPL fifty became his 100th half-century after 361 innings in T20 cricket. He now joins West Indies’ Chris Gayle and Australia’s David Warner in the prestigious club.

Punjab, however, shifted the momentum with the innings’ best bowler, left-arm orthodox spinner Harpreet Brar, removing the dangerous Maxwell (three).

From then on, Punjab managed to stifle the scoring rate, reducing the equation to 47 needed off 22 balls after England all-rounder Sam Curran removed Anuj Rawat in the 17th over.

However, Dinesh Karthik and impact-sub Mahipal Lomror (17 off eight balls) showed nerves of steel as the duo made the chase look easy, with Karthik (10-ball 28) striking downtown for boundary off a Harshdeep Singh delivery to hit the winning runs.

Kohli was adjuged player of the match. “At the end of the day, you’re not gonna look back into numbers or stats… the reception I’ve been getting here (from the RCB fans) have been immense,” Kohli expressed his gratitude for the love and affection RCB fans have shown him, during the presentation ceremony.

Earlier, asked to bat, Punjab totalled 176 for six, courtesy of a captain’s knock from opener Shikhar Dhawan (45 runs off 37 balls) and a eight-ball 21-run blitz from Shashank Singh, batting at number seven. Mohammad Siraj was the pick of the RCB bowlers, picking up two for 26 runs in four overs.

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