AHMEDABAD: India veteran Virat Kohli produced an explosive knock as Royal Challengers Bengaluru secured a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans to retain their Indian Premier League title on Sunday.
Bengaluru, who ended a 17-season drought by winning their maiden IPL title last year, carried that momentum into this season and chased down 156 with ease in 18 overs.
Put into bat, Gujarat never found their footing against Bengaluru’s incisive bowling, losing their in-form openers in the powerplay and managing only 155-8 at a packed Narendra Modi Stadium awash in red in support of the defending champions.
Bengaluru made light work of the chase, cruising through without any real alarm as Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer (32 off 16) set the tone early, helping the team post 70-2 in the powerplay.
Kohli, famously dubbed the ‘chase master’, tore into the attack with an unbeaten 75 off 42 balls, including three sixes and nine fours, also bringing up his fastest IPL fifty to take his tally to 68 half-centuries and nine hundreds.
Gujarat lost their leading scorers Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan early to slump to 45-2 in the powerplay, and though Washington Sundar struck an unbeaten 50 off 37 deliveries, the effort lacked support as the innings never gained momentum.
Bengaluru’s bowling was disciplined and miserly, with none conceding more than 10 an over, as Rasikh Dar claimed three wickets while Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood took two