In a thrilling encounter that kept the Holi-day crowd on the edge of their seats, Virat Kohli’s masterful half-century guided the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a nail-biting four-wicket victory over the Punjab Kings in Monday’s IPL match.
Facing a target of 177 runs on a challenging pitch, Kohli’s innings of 77 runs off 49 balls, including 11 boundaries and 2 sixes, proved to be the cornerstone of RCB’s successful chase. Despite the pitch offering some challenges, Kohli’s meticulous approach ensured that RCB reached the target with four balls to spare, marking their first win of the IPL season.
With 47 runs needed from the final 24 balls, the match hung in the balance, but Dinesh Karthik (28 not out off 10 balls) and the ‘Impact Player’ Mahipal Lomror (17 not out off 8 balls) displayed nerves of steel to guide RCB over the finish line. Karthik, known for his finishing prowess, showcased his batting skills once again as he expertly dispatched deliveries from Harshal Patel and Arshdeep Singh to the boundary, sealing the victory in style for RCB.