IPL 2024, PBKS vs RCB: Virat Kohli misses hundred, silences strike-rate critics with 47-ball 92

New Delhi,UPDATED: May 9, 2024 22:13 IST

Virat Kohli continued to silence his critics with another scintillating knock as the RCB star made PBKS for their mistakes on the field. Kohli scored 92 off 47 deliveries as he answered the criticism towards his strike-rate with a fine knock in Dharamsala.

Kohli was given lifelines twice by PBKS in Dharamsala when he was batting on 0 and 10. First, it was Ashutosh Sharma as the RCB star skied a delivery from Kaverappa and the PBKS batter was unable to hold on. The next one also came off the bowling from Kaverappa, as Rilee Rossouw almost produced a stunning effort to dismiss Kohli.

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The RCB star would then change gears and maximize the powerplay and started with a boundary off Sam Curran’s bowling in the 4th over. The RCB star kept losing partners at the other end with Faf du Plessis and Will Jacks failing to make an impact. He finally found the right partner in Raja Patidar, who also survived a catch scare in his very first ball.

The duo would punish PBKS for their errors on the field as the score went past the 100-run mark after 9 overs. Patidar was in destructive mode against the spinners and scored his fifty off 21 balls, before falling to Curran.

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Kohli’s momentum was halted a bit as rain and hailstorms interrupted the game after 10 overs with the score at 119 for 3. Kohli and Cameron Green started off slowly but then the Indian star broke the shackles with two back-to-back boundaries to go past his fifty.

Kohli would go past 600+ runs this season, the 4th time he had done it in the IPL. He would go level with KL Rahul for the record. A couple of sixes followed from Kohli, with the one off Curran’s bowling an absolute beauty as the crowd in Dharamsala were up on their feet.

Kohli was predominantly strong on the leg-side and Curran continued to feel the wrath of the Indian batter. He looked destined for the hundred as he hit a boundary and a six off Arshdeep but ultimately was dismissed for 92 as Rossouw held on to the catch.

Kohli hit 7 boundaries and 6 sixes in his knock as RCB powered past 200 with ease.

What Kohli said about his knock?

Kohli talked about his knock and joked that he had to keep his strike-rate up throughout the innings.

“It was important to keep up my strike-rate through the innings so I wanted to take on the momentum,” Virat Kohli said with a smile on his face.