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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) opener Virat Kohli smashed a sensational century against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Sunday, May 21. It was a must-win match for RCB as they will only qualify for the playoffs if they win this contest.
GT captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and opted to bowl first at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the final league match of the season. RCB got off to a brisk start once again. Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli hit a flurry of boundaries against the Gujarat pacers Mohammed Shami and Yash Dayal.
Noor Ahmad eventually dismissed Du Plessis in the eighth over to give GT their first breakthrough. Rashid Khan then cleaned up Glenn Maxwell in the next over to dent RCB's innings.
The onus was on Virat Kohli to take his side to a decent total in the crucial game. He did not let his fans and team down.
The right-hander looked determined and played with a great tempo even though he kept losing partners at the other end. He found gaps effortlessly and paced the innings perfectly to reach his second consecutive century. In the company of Anuj Rawat (23*), Virat Kohli lifted RCB to 197/5 in 20 overs.
Fans were in awe of the magnificent batting performance of Virat Kohli in the high-pressure game and expressed their reactions on Twitter. Here are some of the best reactions:
A score close to 200 is a very competitive and winnable score, according to me: Virat Kohli
Speaking during the mid-innings break, Virat Kohli opined that RCB's target of around 200 would be a defendable one in the conditions on offer. He also reflected on his scintillating knock, revealing that he is playing his best in the T20 format at the moment. He said:
"(On the score) We would have taken that with both hands once we were five wickets down, with Anuj as the last recognized batter left. We targeted 190 when we lost five. A score close to 200 is a very competitive and winnable score, according to me."
He added:
"I felt great. A lot of people think my T20 cricket is declining but I do not think that at all. I think I am playing my best T20 cricket at the moment."
Speaking further about his knock, the match condition and the importance of the match, Kohli said:
"Strike rates, and all those kinds of things, you have to read situations and rise up to them. That is what I pride myself on. (On the pitch) Spin was not easy to get away. The strength of a lot of our fast bowlers is also to take the pace off."
He added:
"There is enough in the pitch to make a dent. If we can cut down boundaries, and not allow them to get twos from hitting into the gaps, it will be a difficult chase. I was not thinking about the rain, not watching the other game either. Was just concentrating on what I needed to do for the team."
Do you think RCB can defend the total? Sound off in the comments section.
