IPL: Captain Kohli carries Royal Challengers to final playoff berth

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl first in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Daredevils in Raipur on Sunday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl first in the Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Daredevils in Raipur on Sunday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman Chris Gayle (L) and captain Virat Kohli run between the wickets during the IPL match against Kings XI Punjab, at The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on May 18, 2016. (AFP)

With Kolkata Knight Riders booking the third playoff spot with their 22-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad earlier in the day, the match is a virtual quarterfinal, with the winner taking the last playoff berth.

Kohli explained his decision, describing the wicket as decent and adding that a crunch game like this is what players play the game for.

Kohli’s Delhi counterpart Zaheer Khan said he too wanted to bowl first.

Teams

Royal Challengers Bangalore

C Gayle, V Kohli, AB de Villiers, L Rahul, S Watson, S Baby, S Binny, C Jordan, I Abdulla, S Aravind, Y Chahal

Delhi Daredevils

Q de Kock, R Pant, K Nair, S Billings, C Brathwaite, S Samson, P Negi, C Morris, J Yadav, A Mishra, Z Khan