The best Virat - AB de Villiers Partnerships
There are some picturesque moments in the game of cricket when two modern-day greats bat in tandem portraying a range of sumptuous shots, and instilling fears in the bowler's heart.
Jam-packed metro trains, gridlocked Cubbon Park Road, and unmatched decibel levels at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium - it's that time of the year when the cricketing buffs throng the stadium to catch a glimpse of the two cricketing geniuses, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
Let us have a look at some of the most memorable partnerships between Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.
14th May 2016 - 229-run partnership against Gujarat Lions
Highlights
- Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers stitched a record 229-run partnership at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
- AB de Villiers' 52-ball 129 knock was laced with 10 fours and 12 sixes. The skipper too joined the onslaught, scoring his third hundred of the IPL.
- The valiant effort helped RCB register a mammoth 144-run victory and pocket two important points.
With just four wins from 10 matches, Royal Challengers Bangalore had to win the last four encounters to force their way into the playoffs.
Earlier in the afternoon, Gujarat Lions won the toss and asked RCB to bat first. The Gujarat bowlers vindicated the decision by bowling tight and nagging lengths, successfully trapping Chris Gayle. The Jamaican batsman chopped the ball onto the stumps and departed in the fourth over.
Thanks to the disciplined bowling effort from Dhawal Kulkarni and Praveen Kumar, the visitors had nullified the Gayle threat. However, the joy was short-lived, when AB de Villiers walked into the middle.
Joined by AB de Villiers at the other end, Virat Kohli took a while to get his eye in. With the scorecard reading 42 in 6 overs, the Protea batsman decided to break the deadlock - effortlessly hoisting the ball over the mid-off fielder, providing a sign of things to come.
Slow, sticky, and two-paced - it wasn't a typical Chinnaswamy track, however, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli had the task of powering the home side to a respectable total. The skipper played second fiddle to AB de Villiers, who was crystal clear in his approach from the get-go.
One can expect a cocktail of conventional and unorthodox stroke-making with the two modern-day greats at the crease. And the inevitable happened, while Virat Kohli went through his innings with a calculated approach, AB de Villiers was all muscle throughout the innings.
Realizing the need to accelerate, AB de Villiers broke the shackles, scoring 22 runs off Dhawan Kulkarni's over, and in the process brought up his half-century. The skipper, Virat Kohli had got his eye in by then and joined the onslaught - bringing up his half-century in 39 balls. Thanks to a slew of boundaries, the run-rate had escalated to 10-an-over.
In the 16th over, AB de Villiers improvised and produced some of the strokes that left the crowd perplexed, and in the process brought up his first IPL century at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The chants of "ABD...ABD." reverberated around the scenic stadium. The Protea batsman has time and time again elicited some of the finest batting performances for Royal Challengers Bangalore. The skipper, Virat Kohli brought his exquisite gameplay in the 19th over - yielding 30 runs off Shivil Kaushik's over - the highest runs scored by a batsman in a single over in the 2016 IPL.
Virat Kohli reached the three-figure mark in grand style, making full use of the low full-toss, and depositing it into the stands. The pair had added 229 runs for the second wicket - drawing resemblances to their record-breaking partnership against Mumbai Indians in 2015.
Thanks to the collective bowling effort, RCB recorded a 144-run win over Gujarat Lions. The mammoth win against Gujarat Lions came at an important juncture of the competition and the magnitude of the victory played a significant role in their qualification to the playoffs.
10th May 2015 - 215-run partnership against Mumbai Indians
Highlights
- Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers wreak havoc at the Wankhede Stadium, forging a record 215-run partnership against Mumbai Indians.
- AB de Villiers brought up his first century for RCB, amassing 133 runs in just 59 balls studded with 19 fours and 4 sixes.
- Royal Challengers Bangalore recorded a 39-run win over Mumbai Indians.
Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and elected to bat first. The Mumbai Indians pace attack kept a tight leash on the RCB openers, alluring Chris Gayle to induce a false shot. The ploy to use baggage of slower deliveries reaped rewards, as Chris Gayle miscued an attempted heave to find the backward point fielder. AB de Villiers joined Virat Kohli in the middle.
On a humid afternoon at the Wankhede Stadium, AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli exhibited a gladiatorial vigour. Virat Kohli, who set the ball rolling, played a second fiddle when AB de Villiers took charge. Once the fielding restrictions were relaxed, the duo switched gears. From cover drives, square cuts to slog sweeps, a wide array of shots were on display. AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli illustrated batsmanship of the highest order. The Mumbai Indians' bowling line-up just couldn't find the answer to curb down the run flow.
Upon completing his half-century, Virat Kohli cut loose and took the attack to the opposition bowlers. AB de Villiers reached the three-figure-mark in just 47 balls with a slog sweep over the midwicket region.
The pair made full use of the loose-offerings by the MI bowlers - producing 25 runs off Jasprit Bumrah's over. The duo had mastered the art of crease occupation, amassing 215 runs, and most importantly remained unbeaten. The Virat-ABD liaison had powered RCB to a mountainous 235 runs.
Mumbai Indians' batting line-up never really managed to forge vital partnerships, and succumbed to the strain of coping up with the asking rate. The home side fell 39 runs shy of their target. With a resounding victory against MI, RCB escalated to the fourth position on the points table.
12th April 2016 - 157-run partnership against Sunrisers Hyderabad
Highlights
- Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers' 157-run partnership powers RCB to a mountainous total.
- Ably supported by the bowling annex, RCB scripted a comfortable win over Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
- AB de Villiers was adjudged Man of the Match for his 42-ball 82 garnered with 7 fours and 6 sixes.
A fresh look Royal Challengers Bangalore squared off against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. SRH, arguably one of the best bowling sides of the tournament, were determined to abrogate the batting credentials of the home side.
The SRH pacers were relentless in their approach. Ashish Nehra and Bhuvneshwar Kumar posed a few tough questions, and the latter drew the first blood - accounting for Chris Gayle in the second over. Much to the delight of spectators, AB de Villiers took strike opposite Virat Kohli.
The South African launched the attack on the SRH bowlers - eliciting 14 runs off Ashish Nehra's over. The pair were quick off the blocks, scoring boundaries at will against a potent SRH bowling unit. In the 10th over, AB de Villiers was severely harsh on Karn Sharma - scoring two consecutive sixes off the leggie's over.
Led by the experienced Ashish Nehra, the SRH bowlers had an arduous time containing the formidable RCB batting unit.
AB de Villiers carted two consecutive boundaries of Ashish Reddy's over, and in the process registered a well-compiled half-century in 25 balls. The home side continued to inflict damage in the company of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers - sending SRH bowlers to the leather hunt.
The pair extended the association until the 16th over, crafting a 157-run partnership from 87 balls - providing the solid base for the incoming batters to tee off in the closing overs of the game. Backed by healthy contributions from Shane Watson and Sarfaraz Khan, RCB posted a mammoth 227 runs on board.
Despite David Warner's initial burst, the Sunrisers batting line-up could not come to terms with the asking rate. The Royal Challengers Bangalore kickstarted their campaign with a comfortable 45-run win over the southern counterparts at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.
With 9591 runs, 68 half-centuries, 7 tons, and 405 sixes between them, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have formed the fulcrum of the RCB batting line-up.
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