Virat Kohli made a resounding start to the Indian Premier League Season with a 30-ball half century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat defending champion Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets on Saturday.
Kohli anchored Bengaluru’s dominant chase of 177-3 in 16.2 overs with an unbeaten 59 off 36 balls and gave new skipper Rajat Patidar a winning start to the lucrative two-month long T20 tournament.
Kolkata couldn’t capitalize on captain Ajinkya Rahana’s swashbuckling 56 off 31 balls at Eden Gardens and was restricted to 174-8 after Patidar won the toss and elected to field.
Salt steals powerplay
Phil Salt, who was not retained by Kolkata for this season, was ruthless against his former franchise in the powerplay as Bengaluru sped to 80-0 in the first six overs.
Salt smashed ace spinner Varun Chakarvarthy (1-43) for 21 runs in one over inside the powerplay and Kohli also showed plenty of aggression, lifting Australian fast bowler Spencer Johnson for two back-to-back straight sixes.
Chakarvarthy provided the belated breakthrough when Salt was caught at short third as he attempted another big hit against the spinner in the ninth over.
Kohli raised his half century when he flayed Harshit Rana over cover for his fourth boundary as Bengaluru kept scoring at a rapid pace despite losing Salt.
Patidar smacked Rana for four boundaries in one over in his breezy knock of 34 off just 16 balls before he holed out to mid-wicket as Liam Livingstone (15 not out) finished off the game quickly with a hooked six off Johnson and a boundary.
Krunal squeezes Kolkata
Rahane made a confident start to his captaincy stint at Kolkata with an attacking half century, but spinner Krunal Pandya (3-29) squeezed the home team in the second half of the innings.
Kolkata eyed a big total as they cruised 107-2 in the first 10 overs when Sunil Narine was dismissed for 44 off 26 balls. However, Pandya’s impeccable bowling allowed Kolkata to score only 67 in the final 10 overs.
Pandya got the key wickets of Rahane, Rinku Singh (12) and Venkatesh Iyer (6) while former Kolkata spinner Suyash Kumar had big-hitter Andre Russell clean bowled for only four.
Rahane fell in the trap and couldn’t clear the fielder at deep mid-wicket while Singh and Iyer both got clean bowled as Kolkata lost their power-hitters before the final four overs and slipped to 145-5 in 15 overs. Kolkata slipper further when Kumar Russell was undone by Kumar’s perfect googly.
Josh Hazlewood (2-22) bowled well up front and allowed Kolkata to score only nine runs in the first three overs before Rahane and Narine exploded with a 103-run stand.
Pandya pulled back well for Bengaluru while Hazlewood and Yash Dayal also bowled well in the final overs to restrict Kolkata’s total.