IPL 2019: Virat Kohli’s majestic century helps Royal Challengers Bangalore take down Kolkata Knight Riders

Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 10 runs in Kolkata on Friday.

Even in the shortest of formats, Virat Kohli doesn’t run out of time. His fifth century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) began scratchily — as if Kohli was struggling under deadline to turn in a piece worthy of his reputation. But when it ended, Kohli (100; 58b; 4x9; 6x4) had produced a masterpiece that added to the luminous intensity at Eden Gardens on Good Friday night. ((Full Scorecard))

Virat Kohli celebrates after scoring a century against Kolkata Knight Riders. (AFP)

With AB De Villiers unavailable, it meant that Kohli had to be the actor, director and producer of whatever RCB managed. If RCB got to 213/3 it was because of Kohli and because for an important part of the innings, Moeen Ali took to Kuldeep Yadav like Muhammad Ali to a punching bag.

Ali took 27 off the 16th over bowled by Yadav. Going around the wicket, the chinaman got Ali off the last ball but by then he had scored 66 (28b; 4x5, 6x6) using the slog-sweep to devastating effect. By then Kohli and Ali had 90 off 43 balls.

Then Kohli moved gears. He had started with an edge off Harry Gurney that dropped just short of Nitish Rana, survived a leg-before shout off Sunil Narine and was gifted a boundary by Shubman Gill’s misfield. An edged four off Prasidh Krishna followed and 21 balls into the innings, missing was the fluency Kohli’s known for. Then, with KKR firmly in control, Yadav came on to bowl the eighth over.

Kohli danced down the track and lofted him for four. A cover-drive then blitzed to the fence and shouts of ‘Virat, Virat’ echoed in the terraces. Andre Russell was hooked for a six and even while being sub-par, Kohli motored to 50 in 40 balls. But it was okay because Ali was doing to KKR what Russell usually does to their opponents. On 50, Kohli rode a slice of luck when KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik got third man into the circle and the next ball flew to where Yadav was the previous delivery. Prasidh Krishna was the bowler.

In the 17th over, Kohli pulled a slower delivery from Gurney for four; a six over long-on came next and then he hit a six off Sunil Narine over midwicket off the back-foot. Krishna was greeted with a six and Kohli followed that with a cover-drive going down on one knee. His second 50 came off 17 balls and from 98/2 after 13, RCB scored 115 in the next seven overs.

Dale Steyn took the power out of KKR’s play at the start. When Russell joined Nitish Rana, KKR were 79/4 after 11.5 overs. Counter-punching, they added 118 in 48 balls — Russell got 65 (24b; 4x2; 6x9) and Rana was not out on 85 (46b; 4x9; 6x5) — bringing to the fore how poor Robin Uthappa’s 20-ball nine was. KKR’s fifth successive loss was by 10 runs and it helped RCB get their second win of the season.