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Star batters Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal delivered commanding half-centuries to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru post a formidable total of 205 for five against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash on Thursday.
On a pitch that didn’t allow for free-flowing stroke-play, the duo anchored the innings with a 95-run stand for the second wicket, setting the platform for a strong finish.
Kohli, in sublime form once again, scored a fluent 70 off 42 balls, while Padikkal struck a brisk 50 off just 27 deliveries. Their partnership steered RCB through the crucial middle overs after a slightly shaky start. Adding to the late surge, Jitesh Sharma (20 not out off 10) and Tim David (23 off 15) launched into the Rajasthan attack in the death overs with some powerful hitting that propelled the team beyond the 200-run mark.
RCB, after losing their fourth consecutive toss at home, were asked to bat first. The innings began with fireworks as Jofra Archer’s opening over went for 11 runs, including a wild bouncer at nearly 150 km/h that sailed over the keeper for four. The second over brought more drama when stand-in RR captain Riyan Parag dropped a crucial catch of Phil Salt (26 off 23) at mid-off off Fazalhaq Farooqi, allowing RCB to maintain momentum.
Kohli began to settle in, using a mix of power and placement. He pulled Archer for a well-timed boundary to deep square leg and then punished Tushar Deshpande and Sandeep Sharma with a series of crisp shots. By the end of the powerplay, RCB had posted a healthy 59 runs.
The breakthrough for Rajasthan came when Wanindu Hasaranga dismissed Salt, who miscued a lofted attempt and was caught at deep mid-wicket. Kohli, however, continued to dictate terms, reaching his fifth fifty of the season, his first at the Chinnaswamy this year, in just 32 balls. Padikkal, too, looked in fine touch, capitalizing on a drop by Deshpande and later unleashing a flurry of boundaries and sixes, including three maximums in one over off Deshpande that yielded 22 runs.
Archer returned to halt the carnage, removing Kohli with a clever slower delivery. Soon after, Padikkal perished trying to force the pace, giving Sandeep a wicket. Skipper Rajat Patidar couldn’t make an impact, falling cheaply as RCB looked to accelerate in the final overs.
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