Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans will be running between the wickets during the Indian Premier League 2022 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 19, 2022
Virat Kohli ended his batting collapse with an encouraging 73 on Thursday to help Bengaluru Royal Challengers comfortably beat the Indian Premier League Gujarat Titans board game.
Kohli struck out eight fours and two sixes in his 54 innings to set up the hunt for Gujarat, won the throw and scored 168-5.
The 33-year-old former India captain has three gold ducks in his worst IPL season to date, setting up a 115-game opening match with captain Faf du Plessis in a must-win game in Bengaluru.
A win keeps Bengaluru alive – but depends on the Delhi Capitals’ loss to Mumbai Indians on Saturday – while Gujarat secured a place on the business side of the game.
Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli in the 2022 Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans ANI
“We are probably watching the Mumbai-Delhi game closely,” said Glenn Maxwell of Australia after Bengaluru’s victory.
“We feel we should be in the semi-finals and hope that Mumbai does the right thing and takes us to the semi-finals,” he added.
Bengaluru captain Du Plessis fell on Rashid Khan after a 38 44 ball, which also scored Kohli’s wicket, with Bengaluru just 23 runs away from victory.
A blitz by Maxwell, who made an unbeaten 18-ball 40 with five fours and two sixes behind the captain’s wicket, ended the 19th inning.
He is backed by striker Dinesh Karthik, who has not beaten him in two games.
Khan from Afghanistan was Gujarat’s only successful bowler and went 2-32 for four rounds.
He was strongly supported by Indian rookie spinner R Sai Kishore, who threw four no-hitters but tight balls in 20 overs.
Earlier, Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat got off to a bad start with a one-goal loss to Shubhman Gill in the opening, and the horses that emerged after Gill was dismissed lost Matthew Wade 16 off 13 to His fellow Australian Maxwell.
Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya in the 2022 Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans ANI
Veteran Indian wicketkeeper and Gujarat opener Wriddhiman Saha scored 22 balls for 31 and stabilized with Pandya, who was unbeaten in 62 of 47 balls with four boundaries and three sixes.
South African David Miller (34) supported Pandya after Saha was defeated by Du Plessis and fell to Sri Lankan Wanin Duha Saranga.
Khan used his six 19 balls to advance Gujarat to 168-5 and hit two sixes and one fours.
Josh Hazlewood is Bengaluru’s most successful bowler with a 2-39 lead in his four overs.
Spinners Maxwell and Hasaranga played eight innings to lead 2-53.
