Virat Kohli. | (Image Credits: IPL X)
Star batter Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal helped themselves to breezy half-centuries as Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted a competitive 205 for five against Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League match here on Thursday.
On a pitch where stroke-making was not very easy, RCB were also well-served by Jitesh Sharma (20 not out off 10 balls) and Tim David (23 off 15 balls), who struck some lusty blows to take RCB past 200.
This was after Kohli (70 off 42 balls) and Padikkal (50 off 27) controlled the middle overs with a partnership of 95 for the second wicket.
Batting first after losing their fourth toss at home this season, RCB were off to a decent start after an eventful first over by Jofra Archer, who conceded 11 runs, including bowling a 149.8km bumper that bounced over the keeper for a four.
There was drama in the second over too, as a diving Riyan Parag, leading RR in the absence of injured Sanju Samson, dropped Phil Salt (26 off 23 balls) at mid-off after getting both hands to the ball off the bowling of Fazalhaq Farooqi.
After getting a boundary off a thick inside edge, Kohli pulled Archer for a
four to the deep square leg region.
With RR looking for their breakthrough, medium pacer Tushar Deshpande was introduced into the attack, and Salt welcomed him with two boundaries on either side of the wicket.
Back on strike, Kohli flicked a Deshpande delivery that was asking to be punished for a boundary as RCB crossed 50 in the fifth over. With another lovely hit to the fence, off Sandeep Sharma, Kohli helped RCB finish the power play with 59 runs on the board.
Virat Kohli got to his fifth half-century of the season with a boundary
Leg-spinner Wanindu Hasaranga gave RR their first breakthrough when he had Salt caught at deep mid-wicket after the batter got a leading edge as he shaped up to hoick the ball on the on-side.
Kohli got to his half-century in 32 balls, his fifth of the season and first at home, after collecting back-to-back fours off Sandeep.
At the other end, Padikkal was in his element as he kept scoring boundaries at will and was also helped by a drop catch by Deshpande in the deep off Hasaranga.
Kohli and Padikkal then started dealing in sixes against Parag and Deshpande, with the latter bowler being smashed for three maximums in the 15th over, which fetched RCB 22 runs and took their score to a strong 156 for one.
Jofra was brought back into the attack and the England pacer got instant success, as he dismissed Kohli with a slow leg-cutter.
Padikkal followed suit as he hit a Sandeep slower ball to Nitish Rana, who completed what should have been a simple take at extra cover after fumbling multiple times. RCB captain Rajat Patidar got out cheaply.
