[Watch] RCB's Virat Kohli clean bowled by Akash Singh in unusual fashion vs CSK in IPL 2023

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Virat Kohli endured a rare failure in IPL 2023 as he was dismissed early against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday, April 17.

RCB needed to up the ante right from the start, given that they were tasked with chasing an imposing 227-run target.

Kohli perished in the very first over of the innings while trying to heave one on the leg side off left-arm pacer Akash Singh. The right-handed batter could only manage to get an inside edge. The ball hit Kohli's shoes and ricocheted onto the stumps. Kohli scored six runs off four balls during his brief stay at the crease.

Kohli's wife Anushka Sharma, who was also in the stands, appeared to be shocked after the wicket.

You can watch the video of the dismissal here:

Notably, Virat Kohli was expected to fire with the bat in the massive run chase against CSK, given that he has been in superlative form this season. The senior batter has hit three half-centuries in five games and has 220 runs to his name.

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Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell step up after RCB lose Virat Kohli early

RCB had a shaky start to their run chase against CSK, losing Virat Kohli and Mahipal Lomror early on. However, skipper Faf du Plessis looked unfazed by the fall of wickets and continued to counterattack.

Glenn Maxwell, who walked out to bat at No.4, also scored runs at a brisk pace to transfer the pressure back to Chennai. At the time of writing, both of them are still at the crease and have completed their respective fifties.

The IPL 2023 campaign has been a mixed bag for RCB so far. They have managed two wins and as many losses at this juncture and are placed seventh in the points table.

A win over CSK would do wonders for their confidence. While RCB's bowling let them down in the ongoing clash, du Plessis and Maxwell gave the fans a glimmer of hope with their sensational power hitting.