Why did Harshal Patel not complete his full quota of overs at the death in RCB vs GT game?
Thanks to Kohli's 73, Bangalore, currently fourth, finished the league stage with 16 points but their playoff status awaits the results of other games.
Virat Kohli roared back to form as the star batter smashed 73 off 54 balls and led Royal Challengers Bangalore to an eight-wicket win over table-toppers Gujarat Titans on Thursday. Kohli, who has had a mediocre IPL season with the willow, was fluent during his stay at the crease that saw him hitting eight fours and two sixes. The Indian notched up his second fifty in 14 IPL innings and touched the 7000 mark for Bangalore as well. IPL 2022 Full Coverage
Kohli gave Bangalore a perfect platform to chase down 169 before Glenn Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 43 off just 18 balls. Kohli, the former Bangalore skipper, had amassed only 236 runs in the previous 13 games with just one half-century. But he finally came good with his free-flowing play against a formidable Titans attack.
While Kohli headlined Bangalore's chase, Hardik Pandya resuscitated Gujarat's innings with a gritty half-century. Bangalore, however, missed Harshal Patel in the death overs after the fast bowler left the field with a split webbing in his bowling hand. Known for his wily cutters and pace variations, Harshal suffered the blow while trying to stop the ball in the infield in the 13th over. He immediately started bleeding and went off the field.
Sunrisers Hyderabad all-rounder Washington Sundar had also suffered split webbing in his bowling hand last month. The lone specialist tweaker for the Sunrisers missed a couple of matches before returning to the setup.
While the franchise is yet to release an official statement on Harshal, the injury has raised question marks over his availability in the playoffs if Bangalore achieve a top-4 finish. Harshal bowled just one over and conceded six runs against the Titans.
In Harshal's absence, Hardik teamed up with Rashid Khan as the pair hammered 34 off the final 12 deliveries. Pacer Siddarth Kaul ended up with 0-43 while Josh Hazlewood, who took 2-39, also conceded 17 off the final over.
In the hunt for elusive IPL title, Bangalore are alive in the playoffs race but their hopes are pinned on Delhi Capitals, who have a better net run rate, and could move level on points and regain the fourth spot if they beat Mumbai Indians on Saturday.
"We'll be probably watching the Mumbai v Delhi game pretty closely," Maxwell said after the Bangalore win. "We feel like we deserve to be in the final four and hopefully Mumbai will do the right thing by us and get us into the final four," he added.
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