Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) secured a thrilling victory to earn two crucial points in their Indian Premier League 2023 (IPL 2023) match against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Openers Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis put together another breathtaking partnership of 172 runs, overshadowing Heinrich Klaasen’s scintillating century earlier in a high-scoring encounter.
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Chasing 187 for victory, RCB openers Virat Kohli and captain Faf du Plessis got off to a blazing start. Kohli showcased his class from the beginning, while du Plessis soon joined in, as the two tore the bowling attack apart. The opening pair began with yet another fifty partnership, taking RCB to 64/0 after 6 overs. Hyderabad had an opportunity to break the partnership when Mayank Dagar took a sensational catch, but unfortunately, it was off a no-ball.
Both du Plessis and Kohli continued their unstoppable form, reaching their respective half-centuries with ease. Bangalore comfortably cruised to 108/0 with 8 overs remaining. Kohli, in particular, displayed sublime batting skills before reaching his century with a six off Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞𝗼𝗵𝗹𝗶 👑@imVkohli produced a chase masterclass and unleashed his best in a must-win game, leaving everyone in awe 👏#TATAIPL | #SRHvRCB | @RCBTweets pic.twitter.com/kCeT35cAIX
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 19, 2023
SRH made a comeback, dismissing both RCB openers in quick succession. However, it was too late for the home side as RCB chased down the target with four balls to spare.
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In the first innings, RCB got off to a strong start as Michael Bracewell took two wickets in the fourth over, removing Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi. Heinrich Klaasen then joined Aiden Markram, and the duo kept the scoreboard ticking by rotating the strike and punishing loose deliveries. Klaasen reached his fifty off just 24 balls, while Markram contributed with a useful knock of 18 runs before being dismissed by Shahbaz Ahmed.
Harry Brook came in to bat alongside Klaasen and continued the aggressive approach, hitting boundaries regularly. The pair targeted Shahbaz Ahmed, smashing 19 runs in an over. Klaasen completed his maiden IPL century in 49 balls with a six off Harshal Patel in the 19th over. However, his innings of 104 runs came to an end in the same over.
Glenn Phillips joined Brook for the final over, but SRH could only manage 4 runs, taking their total to 186/5 in 20 overs.
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Kohli equals Gayle’s IPL century record
A magnificent CENTURY by Virat Kohli 🔥🔥
Take a bow, King Kohli!
His SIXTH century in the IPL.#TATAIPL #SRHvRCB pic.twitter.com/gd39A6tp5d
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2023
Virat Kohli ended a four-year drought after finally scoring a century in the Indian Premier League on Thursday. This marked his sixth century in the tournament, drawing him level with former teammate Chris Gayle for the most centuries in IPL history.
It was his first century in the ongoing IPL 2023, ending a stretch since April 2019 without reaching the three-figure mark. Kohli now shares the record for the highest number of centuries in the league’s history with Chris Gayle, both having scored six centuries.
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Du Plessis and Kohli complete 1000 runs as opening pair
In their IPL 2023 match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Kohli and Faf du Plessis achieved a significant milestone as an opening pair, accumulating 1000 runs together. Their powerful and dominant performance overwhelmed the SRH bowling attack.
The duo’s remarkable partnership of 172 runs turned the match one-sided. Kohli, in particular, displayed his destructive prowess by scoring a century in 63 balls, becoming the sixth player in IPL history to achieve this feat. Meanwhile, du Plessis played an anchoring role, contributing 71 runs off 47 deliveries.
