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There is only so much Virat Kohli can do. In the last five matches, Kohli has scored three half-century-plus knocks, converting one of them into a century, yet Royal Challengers Bengaluru managed only a solitary win in those matches. On Saturday, Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, Kohli, who scored an unbeaten 113 against Rajasthan Royals, seemed at his wits’ end as he watched his team succumb to a third straight loss in IPL 2024.
Kohli did find able support from captain Faf du Plessis, who bounced back to form with a 33-ball 44 as the pair stitched a 125-run opening stand. But with the middle-order faltering, just like in the past four matches, the former RCB skipper was left all alone. He waged a lone battle against the RR spinners, who capitalised on the slow pace and low bounce off the track, to score his eighth career ton in IPL and third in last seven matches for RCB.
However, the target of 184 was never enough, especially after Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson stitched a 148-run stand with the captain scoring a fifty while the opener carried the bat through the innings to finish it off in style – with a six over mid-wicket – to score an unbeaten 100 off 58 balls.
En route to RR’s six-wicket win at home, Kohli was left frustrated in the dugout as he watched a fielding error from his side in the 17th over of the second innings, which handed the home team two extra runs. The 35-year-old was left helpless as he covered his face in vexation.
Watching Kohli’s expression in the dugout, the commentator said: “Just feel the frustration…certainly from Virat Kohli. He is virtually carrying the team on his shoulders.”
Although RCB picked up a wicket on the next ball, new batter Shimron Hetmyer smashed two quick boundaries to ease the tension before Buttler sealed the victory with a six in the opening ball of the last over.
The win saw RR jump to the top of the table with four wins in four matches, while RCB languished to the eighth spot after a solitary win in five games this season.
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