BANGALORE, May 18: Skipper Virat Kohli scripted yet another magnificent century to power Royal Challengers Bangalore to a dominating 82-run win over bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab via Duckworth Lewis method in a rain-hit IPL clash and stay on course for a play-off berth, here tonight.
Kohli (113 off 50 balls) battled immense physical pain to notch up his fourth century in the ongoing IPL season and also became the only batsman to score more than 800 runs in a single edition. His tally stands at 865 runs from 13 matches.
Kohli, who had sustained multiple stitches due to a split webbing in his left hand, hit 12 fours and eight sixes and alongwith Chris Gayle (73) amassed a whirlwind 147-run opening stand to help RCB post an imposing 211-3 after the match was reduced to a 15-over affair following rain.
The hosts then returned to dismiss/restrict Kings XI for XXX in X overs to register their seventh win and reach the second spot in points table with 14 points in 13 matches. They are now tied at 14 points with Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Lions.
Chasing a mammoth 212 to win, none of the Kings XI batsmen could stitch a partnership as the pressure to hit big shots saw them make their back way to the hut. Wriddhiman Saha (24) was the top-scorer for Punjab.
For Bangalore, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (4/25) returned with a four-wicket haul, while Sreenath Aravind (2/18) and Shane Watson (2/7) scalped two wickets each.
In the end, Punjab were 120-9 with just one over to go when heavens opened up again and the result of the match was decided by the Duckworth Lewis method.
Earlier, Kohli and Gayle butchered the Kings XI Punjab bowlers with a 66-ball 147-run stand after being asked to take the first strike by Kings XI Punjab skipper Murali Vijay following a delayed start due to rain. (PTI)
Scoreboard
Royal Challengers Bangalore
C Gayle c Miller b Patel 73
V Kohli c Miller b Sandeep 113
AB de Villiers b Abbott 0
KL Rahul not out 16
S Watson not out 1
Extras (w-6, nb-2) 8
Total (For 3 wickets; 15 overs) 211
Fall of wickets: 1-147, 2-154, 3-199
Bowling: Sandeep 3-0-29-1, Sharma 3-0-33-0, Abbott 3-0-48-1, Cariappa 3-0-55-0, Patel 3-0-46-1.
Kings XI Punjab innings
M Vijay b Aravind 16
HM Amla c Jordan b Aravind 9
WP Saha†lbw b Chahal 24
DA Miller c de Villiers b Watson 3
Gurkeerat Singh c Gayle b Chahal 18
AR Patel c Kohli b Watson 13
F Behardien c de Villiers b Chahal 0
KJ Abbott c de Villiers b Chahal 0
MM Sharma run out (Watson/Sachin Baby) 14
KC Cariappa not out 12
Sandeep Sharma not out 5
Extras (LB-1, W-5) 6
Total: (For 9 wickets in 14 overs) 120
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-43, 3-53, 4-54, 5-77, 6-79, 7-80, 9-105. Bowling: STR Binny 1-0-11-0, S Aravind 2-0-18-2, CJ Jordan 1-0-12-0, YS Chahal 3-0-25-4, SR Watson 2-0-7-2, VR Aaron 1-0-17-0, CH Gayle 3-0-25-0, Sachin Baby 1-0-4-0.
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