Virat Kohli Scores His 5th IPL Century

Virat Kohli played like a man on mission as he brought up his fifth century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during Royal Challengers Bangalore's match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Friday. With his knock of 100 off 58 deliveries, Kohli claimed the second spot on the list of century makers in the tournament. Kings XI Punjab's Chris Gayle tops the list with six hundreds. Australians David Warner and Shane Watson have four hundreds each. 

The Indian skipper paced his innings brilliantly and got out on the last ball of the innings. 

RCB scored 91 runs off the last five overs to post 213/4, their highest total of the season.    

It was Moeen Ali who gave the much needed oxygen to their innings, smashing six sixes and five fours to seize momentum after a slow start. 

Kohli and Ali shared 90 runs off 43 balls and there was no looking back after Ali's assault.    

The match swung in the 16th over when Kuldeep Yadav bled 27 runs with Ali going berserk, smashing the star India spinner for three sixes and two boundaries. The chinaman ended with figures of 1/59 in four overs.    

Kohli, who scored his first 50 off 40 balls, changed gears in the second half of his innings. Such was his domination that Kohli took just 17 balls for his second fifty.    

Put in to bat, RCB got off to an ordinary start and the absence of AB de Villiers, who was indisposed following dehydration, was felt very much.    

Kohli mistimed the ball with a couple of inside-edges to the boundary, while his left-handed opening parter Parthiv Patel (11 off 11) had a hit-and-miss stay before falling to Sunil Narine inside the powerplay.    

In the middle of all this, RCB sent in Akshdeep Nath (13 off 15) at number three keeping the in-form Ali in waiting. RCB made only 42 inside the powerplay. 

(With PTI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

Rajasthan Royals Royal Challengers Bangalore Kolkata Knight Riders Virat Kohli IPL 2019 Cricket Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Match 35