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Bengaluru, May 18 (IANS) Captain Faf du Plessis (54), Virat Kohli (47), Rajat Patidar (41), and Cameron Green (38 not out) starred in a collective batting show as Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted a challenging 218/5 against Chennai Super Kings in a winner-takes-the-playoffs-spot clash at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.
On a pitch that looked like a batting beauty before it took a turn after a 40-minute rain break, Kohli and du Plessis set the platform for the big total through their 78-run opening stand.
It was followed by Patidar and Green having a 71-run association for the third wicket, with Dinesh Karthik and Glenn Maxwell firing in late cameos to get a massive total on board for RCB. They now need to restrict CSK to 200 or below if they are to enter the IPL 2024 playoffs.
The tournament’s leading run-getter, Kohli began stunningly by placing a Shardul Thakur square drive for four, before skipper Faf du Plessis drove off the all-rounder for four more and thumped a six over the bowler’s head.
Kohli used his supple wrists to flick Tushar Deshpande for six, before pulling him for another maximum of the third over. During his unbeaten 19 off nine balls, Kohli also completed 3000 runs at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Just as Maheesh Theekshana was to bowl the fourth over, heavy showers lashed the venue and forced the players as well as on-field umpires off the field, with covers quickly covering the field of play.
After 40 minutes of interruption, with moisture caused by rain seeping into the pitch, Theekshana and Mitchell Santner found turn, grip, and bounce. It meant RCB didn’t get many runs and ended their Power-play at 42/0.
Despite Kohli striking some lovely boundaries off Santner and Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli fell three runs short of his fifty when he whipped uppishly to wide long-on off the former. DU Plessis continued the attacking job by hitting Jadeja for four and back-to-back sixes in his third over before reaching his fifty.
Du Plessis’ knock, though, ended when Santner got a finger off a straight drive from Patidar before the ball hit the stumps at the bowler's end, catching the batter short of his crease. After several replays, umpire Michael Gough confirmed du Plessis’ bat was in the air and adjudged him out for 54 off 39 balls.
Patidar and Green hit three boundaries collectively off Simarjeet Singh, before giving the same treatment to Shardul Thakur. Patidar then smashed Deshpande for a brace of sixes, before Green hit consecutive maximums off Thakur.
But Patidar fell for a 23-ball 41 after holing out to long-on off Thakur. Karthik and Maxwell hit quickfire boundaries in the last three overs of the innings as RCB slammed 80 runs in the last five overs to post their highest total against CSK in the IPL.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 218/5 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 54, Virat Kohli 47; Shardul Thakur 2-61, Mitchell Santner 1-23) against Chennai Super Kings
--IANS
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