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Match Report:

Scorecard

Kohli century not enough for RCB

Gujarat produce perfect run chase after Kohli finishes with 6, 4, 4 to post three figures

The match in a tweet: Kohli’s maiden T20 hundred goes to waste as his bowlers can't defend 180 allowing Gujarat to return to winning ways.

The Aussie pack: In Chris Gayle’s absence, Shane Watson was elevated to the opening spot along with Virat Kohli as Royal Challengers Bangalore once again concentrated their firepower to the top of the order. But he failed to get going, falling for run-a-ball 6 as he mishit a skier off Dhawal Kulkarni (1-39) to be caught at cover. He then bowled 3.3 overs for 1-31, including a no-ball in the last over of the chase, allowing Gujarat Lions a bonus run and an extra delivery when the equation stood at a delicate 7 runs needed off 6 balls. Meanwhile, Aaron Finch seemed to aggravate his hamstring injury in the field three overs before Bangalore’s innings came to a close and didn't bat in the chase, putting him in doubt for Gujarat's next match. 

The hero: Kohli opted to bat after winning the toss, hoping to replicate their last game when the Royal Challengers became the first team to successfully defend a total in this IPL. Watson went early, but then de Villiers came to the crease and the in-form duo couldn’t let another opportunity go on a flat track in Rajkot. In no time, they had put up 51 off 36 balls before De Villiers fell, the early introduction of spin securing the wicket for Pravin Tambe (1-24).

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KL Rahul, a late inclusion after Mandeep Singh was injured in the warm-ups, then came to the crease. It turned out to be a most fortunate turn of events for Bangalore as he added an unbroken 121 off 74 with Kohli for the third wicket. The Indian Test skipper was at his imperious best in reaching 50 off 40 balls including six fours, all immaculately timed shots. At the halfway mark, Bangalore were placed at 2-76 and then the duo picked up the pace. 

Rahul played a handsome support role, scoring 51 off 35 balls, the highlight of his knock coming in the 16th over when he banged two successive sixes off Kulkarni. The Royal Challengers’ skipper then proceeded to accelerate his own innings, bringing up his latter 50 off 23, with another five fours and a six. It was in the last over of the innings that he reached his maiden T20 100 off 63, taking Dwayne Bravo (0-43) for 16 runs.

The stat: This hundred was Kohli’s first in 193 T20 matches and it came on the heels of an astonishing 42 half-centuries. He also regained the Orange Cap as the IPL's leading scorer with 367 runs in five matches, opening a gap of 73 to second-placed David Warner. Also, his partnership of 121 with Rahul was the fourth century-stand by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in this IPL, Kohli involved in all four of them.

The team effort: Bangalore had just about got a par-score of 2-180, but it was never going to be easy for the home side with the absence of the in-form Finch. Thankfully, Dwayne Smith was available to stand in and he didn’t disappoint, smacking 32 off 21, with three fours and two sixes as Brendon McCullum didn’t have to do much at the other end.

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The pair put on 47 off 27 before de Villiers caught Smith in the deep off Kane Richardson (1-53). It perhaps angered McCullum as he unleashed a flurry of strokes in the same sixth over, smacking 20 off its last four balls as Lions sped to 1-72. It was the highest score yet in Power Plays in this season’s IPL, boding well for their chase. 

McCullum eventually went for 42 off 24, caught and bowled by Tabraiz Shamsi (1-21), unable to read his googly. This brought Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik together and the duo put on a match-winning partnership of 53 off 44. The Lions’ skipper was sedate in his 28 off 24, and played second fiddle, while Karthik too didn’t appear in any hurry. The young leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (1-33) accounted for Raina in the 16th over, but the turning point came shortly thereafter when Richardson dropped Karthik off his own bowling.

Together with Ravindra Jadeja (12 off 10), Karthik then added 38 off 22 and despite some last over drama - a no ball from Watson and Jadeja's dismissal - Dwayne Bravo kept his cool as the Lions scored 45 in the last 4.3 overs to finish with 4-182, Karthik scoring an unbeaten 50 off 39.

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The wash-up: After a ten-wicket loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gujarat Lions are back to winning ways and sit pretty atop the standings with eight points from five matches. They will be concerned about the fitness of Finch, but as proved today they do have more than enough firepower while he recovers. Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be scratching their heads as to how they lost this game from a position of strength. A lack of proper bowling prowess at the death continues to be their weak point and they have now fallen out of the top four in the standings. 

The Next Stop: The Lions travel to Delhi next and will play the Daredevils, who are on a three-match winning run. The Royal Challengers, meanwhile, will enjoy a five-day break as they travel to Hyderabad and take on the Sunrisers in the evening game on Saturday.