On a spicy pitch in Dubai, the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in match number 25 of the IPL 2020.
Little did he know that he was going to play one of his best-ever IPL knocks that evening, and against a quality, potent CSK bowling attack under the pressure of wickets crumbling at the other end.
This was the IPL 2020 – the one immediately after the covid-19 broke out and the long enforced break due to the pandemic. The players were still finding their groove, their best form, their best rhythm.
But, Kohli, just into the first half of the tournament, was looking comfortable, as if he hadn’t left; as if the long, almost 8-month break hadn’t broken his rhthym and touch.
What hadn’t changed was RCB’s dependencia on him and AB de Villiers. In this match, ABD was out for a duck, caught MS Dhoni, bowl Shardul Thakur, leaving RCB reeling at 67/3 which became 93/4 in the 15th over.
Virat Kohli saw ABD get out for a duck and would have himself been left shocked, as so was everyone.
But, in the last 5 overs of the RCB innings, the RCB captain took up the responsibility and hogged most of the strike, and he got decent support from youngster Shivam Dube as both shared a superb partnership of 76* (34) of which Virat Kohli hammered 49 off just 20 balls!
Batting at number 3, he had come in as early as in the 3rd over, after opener Aaron Finch got out. Kohli being Kohli, the right-hander started off cautiously, scoring 6 off the first 7 balls he faced. In the last over of the powerplay, he freed his arms to smack Thakur for his first four, before in the next over he drove Bravo for another four.
Padikkal tried to accelerate but got out to Lord Thakur, who also dismissed ABD. Kohli was on 34 in 30 balls at the 14-over mark and RCB’s innings looked to go downhill when in the 15th over, after Kohli had smashed a six to Curran, Sundar also got out.
Virat Kohli knew he had to up the ante now in the death overs while also being aware of not losing his wicket. With a boundary to Thakur on the last ball of the 17th over, Kohli brought up his fifty, off 39 balls, and RCB 117/4. The job was far from done for the RCB skipper.
What came next was simply sensational – a tremendous mix of power, timing, placement from the master at work.
He smashed Curran for a six over long-on after moving across, and then for another six over deep square leg with a flick after moving across toward offside. Thakur was pumped straight back for a maximum before Bravo was scooped over fine leg.
Amid this carnage of fours and sixes, Kohli also ran hard – like only Kohli does – between the wickets, and the leg of the aged CSK players weren’t enough to stop him. Nobody could, anyway.
With his sizzling knock of 90* (52), Virat Kohli ensured he stayed till the end – as he’s done so often – taking RCB to a total of 169, which their bowlers defended successfully.
You can watch the highlights of Virat Kohli’s 90* vs CSK here:
