Virat Kohli's priceless act for Jos Buttler after RR star denies him match-winning moment to inflict RCB horror

While Jos Buttler's ton helped RR remain unbeaten in IPL 2024, it subsequently inflicted horror on RCB, who lost four of their last five matches

After a century-less start to a high-scoring IPL 2024, Virat Kohli scored the first hundred of the season in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's match against Rajasthan Royals at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Saturday. It was his eighth career ton in IPL, still the most ever by a player in the league's history. But the unbeaten knock of 113, was trumped by RR opener Jos Buttler, who scored a stunning 100* to hand the home team their fourth consecutive win on the trot. Despite being denied a match-winning moment, Kohli made a priceless gesture towards Buttler after the match.

Virat Kohli with Jos Buttler after RR vs RCB match

RCB started off the match on a great note, with captain Faf du Plessis roaring back to form as he combined with Kohli to stitch a 125-run opening stand. But following the dismissal of Du Plessis, the onus was entirely on the former RCB skipper to lift the side as he led from the front to notch up an unbeaten 113 - his third century knock in the last seven IPL games, but it was also the joint-slowest IPL ton, getting to the mark in 67 balls.

Although Kohli reckoned it as an "effective total", 183 quickly proved insufficient after Buttler and RR captain Sanju Samson stitched a 148-run stand with the latter getting to his second half-century score this season. RCB did manage stay alive in the contest with some quick wickets at the back end, but Buttler denied any chance of a last-over drama as he smashed the winning run with a six over mid-wicket to finish unbeaten on 100 in what was his 100th IPL match.

Following the match-winning knock, Kohli, despite being denied his moment in the sun, was among the first to congratulate Buttler on his knock and hugged him as well. The two even posted for a photograph after the post-match proceedings, which was shared by IPL on their official social-media handle.

While Buttler's ton helped RR remain unbeaten in IPL 2024, it subsequently inflicted horror on RCB, who lost four of their last five matches, including a hat-trick of defeats.

Buttler later opened up on he bounced back from a quiet start to the season, scoring 35 runs in the first three IPL matches, to score his sixth century.

"Had a little bit of luck, did not time it well, just got over the rope, delighted with the win. However long you've played the game, you still have those anxieties and stresses. The mind is a powerful thing, just keep digging in, keep working hard and you need a little bit of luck along the way. At some point it will be okay and sometimes you have to tell yourself it will be okay. I did feel really good in the last game, even though I got 13," he said after collecting the Player of the Match award.