IPL T20 - Live Cricket and Watch Online IPL Virat Kohli's Unbeaten 108 Powers RCB To Seven Wicket Win Over RPS, IPL T20 - Live Cricket and Watch Online IPL Virat Kohli's Unbeaten 108 Powers RCB To Seven Wicket Win Over RPS.The Supergiants's bowlers failed to pose any threat to both Kohli and KL Rahul, who shared the hosts' first fifty-run stand of the season for the opening wicket. Rahul played an able support to Kohli, who produced another masterclass. Kohli peppered the cover region consistently and helped Royal Challengers Bangalore race away to 94 for 0 after 11.
Whilst the likes of RP Singh and Thisara Perera were tackled with ease, and even taken for runs, the Supergiants's trump card turned out to be IPL debutant Adam Zampa - who replaced an injured Murugan Ashwin. Zampa provided the visitors a double-wicket break, accounting for Rahul (38 off 35) and AB de Villiers (1) in the 12th over, conceding only three runs. The leg-spinner, who was introduced into the attack after the powerplay, witnessed the class of Kohli first-hand after two vintage boundaries in the ninth over. However, after an opening over of 11, he came back strongly to induce a little extra turn that did Rahul in as George Bailey obliged willingly at deep cover. Off the last ball, de Villiers sliced a legbreak straight to Perera at long off, who held on to the catch after pedalling backwards.
The momentum switched sides again as Shane Watson hammered Perera for five boundaries in the 14th over. Perera was ousted from the attack after conceding 40 off three overs. After a stellar bowling outing with 3 for 24, Watson then raced away to 36 off 12 balls, before being trapped by RP in the 16th over with 49 to get in 27 balls. R Ashwin was introduced into the attack only in the 17th over and bowled only the one for the match after conceding 7.
Zampa, who returned to bowl his final over with figures of 2 for 17, was taken apart by an composed Kohli, for 18 runs, reducing the equation to 22 to get off the final two overs. With bulk of the work done, Bangalore bagged a crucial two points as Kohli finished the job unbeaten on 108 off 58 - the only Indian player in IPL history to score two centuries in one season. His phenomenal effort included seven sixes and eight fours.
Rahane's stellar tournament continued in fine fashion as he cruised to his sixth fifty. His 74 off 48 balls anchored Pune's innings of 191 for 6 - with Bangalore conceding a score of 170-plus once again, as they have all season.
Kohli and Rahul constructed a 94 run partnership. Later, Rahul fell to Adam Zampa while going for a huge shot, caught by George Bailey near the boundary.
Though Ab de Villiers (1) faltered, Watson rose to the occasion with a quick fire 13-ball 36-run knock.
The veteran Australian all-rounder blasted five fours and two sixes to emerge valuable with the bat as well after a fine bowling performance.
His show got over after he was declared leg before the wicket off Singh in the 16th over while attempting a big heave.
Meanwhile, Kohli saw to it that the asking rate fell down steadily and swiftly. From an asking rate of 142 runs in 78 balls after the beginning of the match, it fell down to 122 runs needed in 66 balls and 98 in 54 balls and later 77 in 38.
By the end of the 19th over, RCB needed 16 runs off eight ball and four runs off six balls in the final over, Travis Head (6) took a single giving the strike to Kohli.
Excited and entertained fans in the stadium stood up flashing their glowing cell phones to witness the victory coming from Kohli's bat. With one run needed in four balls, Kohli cracked a four to claim the victory.
Adam Zampa 2/35 performed the best with the ball for PSG while R. P. Singh 1/37 was the only other bowler to manage a wicket.
The match, however, turned on its head and in Bangalore's favour as the home side milked 39 runs off two overs -- 20 from 14th bowled by Perera and 19 from the 15th by Bhatia. Watson smashed a hapless Perera for five fours in a scintilalting show of strokemaking. He then hit Bhatia for two sixes as the bowler bled 19 runs.
That brought down the asking rate to 10 an over and immediately Watson was out LBW to Singh in the 16th over.
Ashwin was introduced in the 17th over and he gave away seven runs and after that he was not used as Kohli made the stadium on fire with a flurry of lusty blows to take the game away from Pune.
Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane and Saurabh Tiwary smashed half centuries to power Pune to an imposing 191 for six after being put into bat.
While opener Rahane made 74 off 48 balls with the help of eight boundaries and two sixes, Tiwary's 52 came off 39 balls during which he struck nine boundaries.
Yazuvendra Singh Chahal was the only bowler for Bangalore to pick up the lone wicket as Usman Khawaja who was run out for 16 runs off six balls with two boundaries and a six.
Pune had a poor start as Khawaja lost his wicket when the score was 26 on the board in 2.2 overs.
The dismissal, however, brought together Rahane and Tiwary, who played sensibly and took the bowling apart when required as they hit some exquisite shots to put together 106 runs for the second wicket.
