On this day in 2016 - Kohli’s masterclass helps RCB beat Pune

With half the games of the league stage of the 2016 season played out, RCB had only managed to register two victories. Having suffered three consecutive defeats, the team badly needed a quick change in fortunes. Royal Challengers Bangalore had to now overcome the Rising Pune Supergiants captained by MS Dhoni at the Chinnaswamy stadium.

Usman Khawaja and Ajinkya Rahane opened the batting for the Supergiants. Khawaja put RCB on the backfoot right from the beginning. He took on Parvez Rasool in the second over of the innings and Pune were off to a flyer. RCB got a lucky break when a mix up between the wickets saw the back of the elegant Australian batsman. The wicket brought little respite though, as Ajinkya Rahane and Saurabh Tiwary carried on the good work done by the opening pair. The second wicket partnership was worth 106, and the run rate was cruising at close to 9.5 an over.

As is the case most times, Yuzvendra Chahal answered his captain’s call when RCB needed a breakthrough. Saurabh Tiwary rushed down the crease, missed slog and was collected by KL Rahul behind the stumps who knocked off the bails. The dismissal, however, brought MS Dhoni to the middle with a little more than 5 overs remaining, the perfect scenario for Dhoni to be his dangerous best. RCB would have feared their fortunes when a top-edge off Dhoni’s bat landed over the fine-leg rope. 

A key part of the RCB setup in the 2016 season was Shane Watson. Not only did he provide flexibility to the batting unit, but also played a major part in the bowling setup. He was the sponge who could soak up the pressure. Dhoni tried to slaughter a slower ball, but this time, bowled cleverly wide by Watson, the Pune skipper could only manage a top edge which was taken by a diving Parvez Rasool. Watson had nullified the threat of Dhoni. Watson was also entrusted to bowl the 18th over of the innings, and he did ever so well, conceding only 4 runs and picking up two wickets - that of the set Rahane, and George Bailey. Despite Watson’s tight spell, the four overs of which had only cost 24 runs and also accounted for 3 key wickets, Pune had managed 191/6.

Virat Kohli masterminded the run-chase with an unbeaten century, his second of the season

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RCB had decided to drop Chris Gayle, with the management deciding to go with Travis Head to lend solidity to the middle order. Besides, KL Rahul had shown excellent form at the top of the order while the Jamaican was away for the birth of his first child. The start was not sizzling as one would expect in a run chase which required almost 10 an over to be scored from the outset. However, all ten wickets intact with 46 on board meant RCB could take more risks in the middle overs. The runs started to flow and the run rate climbed as the Kohli-Rahul duo encashed 44 runs between the eighth and the eleventh overs. Kohli brought up his half-century with a flick to the on-side boundary.

Just when it felt like RCB innings would shift into another gear, with 98 required off 9 overs, Adam Zampa wrested the control back in Pune’s favor. KL Rahul’s mistimed lofted shot found Bailey on the cover boundary. The big blow came as De Villiers attempted a similar shot and suffered the same fate as Rahul, handing a catch to Thisara Perera at long-off. The double jolt had set RCB back. But, RCB still had hope as long as the chase master Kohli was batting; Shane Watson joined the RCB captain. 89 runs were required off 7 overs. Watson took 5 boundaries off the 14th over of the innings bowled by Thisara Perera. Watson was now taking the initiative to get the required rate down and allow Kohli to bat through to the end. He smashed Rajat Bhatia for two sixers in the following over. The 14th and the 15th overs had yielded a mammoth 39 runs.

Watson’s cameo ended when RP Singh trapped him leg-before. But, his knock of 36 off 13 balls meant the required rate which had shot up to almost 13 an over had now been yanked down to just above 10 from the last 5 overs. The dismissal of Watson coincided with two quiet overs which went for only 10 runs. With 40 needed off the last three overs, Dhoni brought on his trump card, Adam Zampa. He had bowled his first three overs for only 17 and picked up 2 crucial wickets. The game was to be won or lost in this over. The contest between Kohli, now batting on 70 and the Aussie leg-spinner would decide the game. Kohli slog-swept the first ball, which just cleared Rahane at deep mid-wicket. A heart-in-the-mouth moment, but six runs nevertheless. There was not much uncertainty in where the next ball went, though: a straight six over the bowler’s head. An uppish cut shot, placed just behind point split the off-side field and raced away to the boundary. Kohli had won the contest, spoiling Zampa’s figures by taking 18 runs off his last over.

Despite the big over, RCB were not home and hosed yet. With 22 needed, the momentum was on RCB’s side, but one good over could still bring the Supergiants back into the game. The first four balls of the 19th over by RP Singh had gone for only 6 runs, and 16 runs were needed off 8. Kohli hardly ever times a run chase wrong. He was not going to let this game get away, having come so close. Just when the over seemed to have brought RPS back into the game, Kohli tonked two massive sixers. The second one, a straight hit brought up his second century of the season off only 56 balls. He fittingly finished off the game with a boundary with three balls to spare. Virat Kohli had produced another masterclass in a run-chase.