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Virat Kohli has been brilliant as Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) stand-in skipper in the IPL 2023 season. With Faf du Plessis carrying a niggle, RCB are using him as an impact player and Kohli has taken over the reins.
Safe to say, the move has worked wonders for the team as they have won both their games under Kohli this season. It was refreshing for a number of fans to see vintage captain Virat Kohli with his passionate celebrations, just the way it was when he was a full-time skipper.
There have been a number of times when Kohli has led by example for RCB as a captain as well as a batter. On that note, let's take a look at some of Virat Kohli's best wins as RCB captain:
#5 SRH vs RCB, RCB win by six wickets (D/L method), IPL 2015
Rain threatened to play spoilsport in the encounter between the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and RCB. But thankfully, there was just enough time to get an absolute thriller.
Initially, the match was reduced to 11 overs, with SRH scoring a staggering 135/3. More rain followed and the match was further reduced to just six overs in which RCB needed 81 to win.
At one point, it looked like Chris Gayle would finish the game off, scoring 35 runs off just 10 balls. But SRH bowlers came roaring back into the game, getting wickets at regular intervals. It was down to Virat Kohli to clinch the win with a special knock and he delivered.
With 12 runs needed off four deliveries, Kohli went 4,4,6 as RCB snatched victory from SRH's grasp. The game is also remembered for SRH skipper David Warner's celebration as he caught Kohli in the deep, only to realize that he had stepped on the boundary cushion.
#4 RCB vs KXIP, RCB win by 82 runs (D/L Method), IPL 2016
In the match before the game against Punjab, Virat Kohli split his webbing in the left hand and had to take quite a few stitches. RCB had to bat first in a rain-curtailed game and that meant that they had to score big, keeping the D/L method in mind.
Chris Gayle went absolutely berserk and smashed 73 runs off just 32 balls. But it was Virat Kohli who stole the show with the most incredible and courageous hundred one could imagine.
It was Kohli's record fourth hundred in the IPL 2016 season and the way he celebrated after reaching his hundred by pointing at his stitches showed just how motivated he was. The target of 212 was just too much for Punjab as Kohli's brilliance ensured RCB won by 82 runs.
#3 RCB vs PWI, RCB won by 130 runs, IPL 2013
The highest score in IPL history still remains with RCB as they smashed 263 runs for the lost of five wickets in their 20 overs against the Pune Warriors India (PWI) during the IPL 2013 season.
The match also saw Chris Gayle smash the highest individual score in IPL history as he remained unbeaten on 175* off just 66 balls.
In reply, Virat Kohli rotated his bowlers really well as a deflated PWI side just couldn't compete by any stretch of the imagination. They lost the game by a massive margin of 130 runs and that remains one of the most comprehensive wins ever witnessed in the IPL.
#2 RCB vs GL, RCB won by 144 runs, IPL 2016
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers together had some memorable partnerships that blew away the opposition. The duo had one such outing against the Gujarat Lions (GL) in the 2016 edition of the league. GL struck early by removing Chris Gayle, but they wouldn't have anticipated what was about to hit them.
Kohli and De Villiers went berserk, adding a mind-boggling 229 runs for the second wicket and smashing the GL bowlers to all parts of the ground. Kohli scored 109, while De Villiers remained unbeaten on 129 as RCB finished on a mammoth 248/3 in their 20 overs.
The Lions faltered in the chase, getting bundled out for just 104, handing RCB a massive win by 144 runs.
#1 GL vs RCB, RCB win by 4 wickets, IPL 2016 Qualifier 1
Arguably RCB's most incredible and dramatic win under Virat Kohli's captaincy, given the importance of the game, was against GL in Qualifier 1 of the 2016 IPL season. The Lions were bundled out for just 158 and it seemed like a walk in the park for the hosts' strong batting line-up.
However, it was anything but straightforward as RCB got off to a horrific start in the chase, losing five wickets for just 29 runs. GL were all over the opposition and a win just looked like a matter of time. However, AB de Villiers arguably played his best knock for the franchise, scoring 79 runs off just 47 balls.
Form 68/6, De Villiers and Iqbal Abdulla added 91 runs for the seventh wicket and RCB ended up qualifying for the final. The celebrations by Virat Kohli and co. were special as they knew they had gotten out of jail in that chase.
