Royal Challengers Bangalore and India skipper Virat Kohli registered his first century of IPL 2019, against Kolkata Knight Riders, at the Eden Gardens on Friday. Kohli smashed a 58-ball 100, his fifth in the IPL, to help RCB cross the 200-run mark. He hit four sixes and nine fours as RCB finished at 213 for the loss of four wickets. All his four IPL centuries had come in 2016, the season where RCB perhaps had the best chance to lay its hands on the trophy, but it lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad in the final. With the Team India 15-member squad announced for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Kohli's IPL ton will hold him in good stead leading up to the mega event. Virat Kohli after scoring four #IPL centuries in 9 inns in April-May 2016 hasn't made one since then in 35 innings. His IPL record since: 1224 runs, ave 39.48, S/r 130.49, 50s: 12 (HS 92*)#IPL2019#KKRvRCB — Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 19, 2019 Prior to the ton, Kohli had a mixed IPL with only two half-centuries under his belt. RCB lost seven out of its first eight games this season; Kohli's consistency is a good sign for the beleaguered outfit.<doc-sep>India captain Virat Kohli stepped up his preparations for the World Cup in England with a brilliant century for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. India captain Virat Kohli stepped up his World Cup preparations with a brilliant century for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. Kohli smashed a 58-ball 100, his fifth in the IPL, to help Bangalore reach 4-213 from their 20 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. Bangalore skipper Kohli showed patience at the start as he brought up his fifty in 40 deliveries but it took him only another 17 balls to reach his century. His previous four IPL hundreds all came in 2016. The 30-year-old smashed nine fours and four sixes before he fell to the final ball of the Bangalore innings. Look out world, here comes Virat Kohli. England all-rounder Moeen Ali also played a blistering knock of 66 off 28 balls, hitting six sixes and five fours to seize momentum for his team. Kolkata came close thanks to a 118-run partnership between Nitish Rana (85 not out) and Windies power-hitter Andre Russell (65) but finished on 5-203, 10 runs short of Bangalore’s total. Aussie star Chris Lynn was dismissed by Dale Steyn, who had returned to Bangalore after nine years, reducing Kolkata to 3-33 in the fifth over. Meanwhile, Aussie stars Cameron Bancroft and James Pattinson turned in stellar performances to lift their county cricket sides in England. Bancroft’s second unbeaten hundred in as many matches led Durham to a six-wicket win over Leicestershire in the Royal London One-Day Cup. The Foxes rebuilt from 7-112 to reach 9-233, with Tom Taylor (59) and Dieter Klein (46) putting on 81, but skipper Bancroft’s 118 not out ensured a comfortable home win in the North Group. Lancashire came up just short of a remarkable chase despite record team and individual scores for the county as Nottinghamshire held on for an 11-run win. Joe Clarke’s 139 and quick runs from Tom Moores (74 off 39 balls) and Luke Fletcher (46no off 17) took Notts to 7-417. Stephen Croft hit 110 and Dane Vilas an extraordinary 166 off 100 balls to give the Red Rose hope, but Pattinson took 5-61 including the wicket of Vilas to leave them 9-406.<doc-sep>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)) 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. ALSO READ: IPL 2019 Highlights, KKR vs RCB at Eden Gardens: Royal Challengers Bangalore win by 10 runs 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.<doc-sep>Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli played a brilliant knock at the Eden Gardens on Friday as he smashed his fifth century in the IPL 2019 against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Kohli opened the innings along with Parthiv Patel and the former was there at the crease till the last ball when he was finally dismissed by Harry Gurney for 100 after facing 58 deliveries. Kohli’s knock was laced with 9 fours and four maximums. The RCB captain was supported well by Moeen Ali (66 off 28 balls) as the visitors posted a mammoth 213 for 4 in their full quota of 20 overs. Here’s how the cricketing world reacted on Twitter: VIRAT!!!!!!!!!! !🎉🎉🎉 you little biscuit @imVkohli Top knock from @MoeenaliAli as well👏Bowlers to follow through what’s been a very good 1st half — AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) April 19, 2019 Virat Kohli has shown us once again why he is regarded 'The Best' Hunger & Passion Unlimited 🔥#KKRvRCB — Hemang Badani (@hemangkbadani) April 19, 2019 Considering the situation RCB are in the IPL this season, outstanding effort from @imVkohli. Not giving up! — Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) April 19, 2019 That was really enjoy watching that @imVkohli hundred. Quite a few interesting knocks in this years #viviipl where openers are seeing the importance of batting through the innings or going deep. Let’s see if @RCBTweets can defend this total. — Ian bishop (@irbishi) April 19, 2019 50 of 40 balls and another 50 in just 17 more , only King Kohli @imVkohli can do this to one of the best attacks in IPL today, magnificent display of batsmanship and an amazing Century, #RCBvsKKR #IPL2019 #KingKohli — Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) April 19, 2019 . @RCBTweets didn't look like getting 200+ but what a class performance from @imVkohli!! Moen too looked too good for @KKRiders bowlers, strange that Piyush Chawla bowled just one over?#KKRvRCB — R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) April 19, 2019 Fantastic Ton Champ. King Kohli Reigns in Eden Gardens. What a treat for fans turning up. #KKRvRCB. #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/tXtREpimr9 — Prabhu (@Cricprabhu) April 19, 2019 Sensational 100. The acceleration from Kohli has been awesome. Moeen set up the carnage and Kohli sealed it dramatically — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 19, 2019 Most IPL centuries: 6 Gayle 5 KOHLI 4 Warner, Watson 3 ABD#KKRvRCB — Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) April 19, 2019 Most centuries in Twenty20 cricket as captain: 6 – Michael Klinger 5 – VIRAT KOHLI 3 – Chirs Gayle#IPL2019 #KKRvRCB — Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) April 19, 2019<doc-sep>
Virat Kohli played like a man on mission as he brought up his fifth century in the Indian Premier League (IPL) during Royal Challengers Bangalore's match against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Friday. With his knock of 100 off 58 deliveries, Kohli claimed the second spot on the list of century makers in the tournament. Kings XI Punjab's Chris Gayle tops the list with six hundreds. Australians David Warner and Shane Watson have four hundreds each. The Indian skipper paced his innings brilliantly and got out on the last ball of the innings. RCB scored 91 runs off the last five overs to post 213/4, their highest total of the season. It was Moeen Ali who gave the much needed oxygen to their innings, smashing six sixes and five fours to seize momentum after a slow start. Kohli and Ali shared 90 runs off 43 balls and there was no looking back after Ali's assault. The match swung in the 16th over when Kuldeep Yadav bled 27 runs with Ali going berserk, smashing the star India spinner for three sixes and two boundaries. The chinaman ended with figures of 1/59 in four overs. Kohli, who scored his first 50 off 40 balls, changed gears in the second half of his innings. Such was his domination that Kohli took just 17 balls for his second fifty. Put in to bat, RCB got off to an ordinary start and the absence of AB de Villiers, who was indisposed following dehydration, was felt very much. Kohli mistimed the ball with a couple of inside-edges to the boundary, while his left-handed opening parter Parthiv Patel (11 off 11) had a hit-and-miss stay before falling to Sunil Narine inside the powerplay. Promoted In the middle of all this, RCB sent in Akshdeep Nath (13 off 15) at number three keeping the in-form Ali in waiting. RCB made only 42 inside the powerplay. (With PTI Inputs)