Virat Kohli ton powers RCB to 183/3 against RR in IPL
Jaipur, Apr 6: Virat Kohli enhanced his status as a lone ranger by notching up a record-extending eighth IPL century but Royal Challengers could only manage just about par-score of 183 for 3 against Rajasthan Royals here on Saturday.
Kohli showed superb improvisation, from his wrist-rolled pulls, powerful swat flicks to steer through third man as he remained unbeaten on 113 off 72 balls and has now scored 38 percent of RCB's total runs so far.
Kohli smashed 12 fours and four sixes and barring the assistance received from his skipper Faf Du Plessis (44 from 33 balls; 2x4, 2x6), he did not get any support from the other batters.
After reaching his fifty in 39 balls, Kohli stepped up well and took just 28 balls for his next fifty as he reached the milestone with a single off Nandre Burger in the penultimate over.
Glenn Maxwell (1) and debutant left-hander Saurav Chauhan (9), who failed to replicate his Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 form, fell cheaply.
Credit should go to RR spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin (0/28) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2/34) who stifled the proceedings in the middle overs.
Chahal was exceptional as he cleverly deceived the batters with his pace and variations by bowling googlies and sliders to fox the RCB batters.
Put in, RCB had their best ever start in this IPL when Kohli and Du Plessis saw through the power play for the first time this season in a 125-run opening partnership.
The duo put on a steady 53-run inside the power play, thanks to a brilliant over by Ashwin who conceded just three runs in the fifth over to pull them back.
Their pace spearhead Trent Boult bowled short and Kohli pulled them to get into the zone, while Nandre Burger was wayward and leaked 26 runs from his two overs inside the power play.
Thanks to Ashwin's over, RR had RCB in check even as the visitors had all their wickets intact.
Chahal further tightened the noose by brilliantly stifling Kohli in the eight over where he conceded just four runs.
But Du Plessis broke the shackles smashing Boult for two sixes in the ninth over, while Kohli also got it going against his former RCB teammate, smashing Chahal for six.
Sanju Samson took a gamble to bring in Riyan Parag against the set opening duo in the 11th over.
The part-time spinner, who bowls with a sling action even troubled the duo before being smashed by Kohli into the stands to bring up his third fifty this season. It came off 39 balls.
Riyan had a chance to break the partnership but he dropped a tough return catch from Du Plessis on 36.
Chahal finally broke the opening stand in an eventful 14th over, dismissing Du Plessis.
In the same over, Kohli was dropped on 66, a tough chance by Burger at point, and then Boult grassed a sitter from the South African at extra cover.
However in the next ball, Buttler made no mistake when Du Plessis went in for charge once again to be holed out at long-on.
He may have failed to impress with the new ball, but Burger came back strongly in the middle overs and beat Maxwell by angle and pace to clean up the Aussie dangerman for a three-ball one.
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Dalit man beaten to death in MP over land dispute; sarpanch, kin booked
Shivpuri (MP) (PTI): A 30-year-old Dalit man was allegedly beaten to death by the sarpanch and seven others over a land dispute in a village in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district, an official said on Wednesday.
Narad Jatav was fatally attacked on Tuesday evening after he and his maternal uncle objected to a road created through their land to a hotel belonging to the sarpanch, Padam Dhakad, in Indergarh village, the official said. The accused, including Dhakad's sons and wife, are on the run.
Following the dispute over the road, Narad allegedly removed the water supply line from a common borewell to the hotel. Dhakad and his family then beat him with sticks and killed him, Kotwali police station in-charge Kripal Singh Rathore said.
Jatav’s family protested in the medical college where his body was taken for autopsy, demanding the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the accused, he said.
Later, police pacified them and registered a murder case against the sarpanch and his other family members, including his wife and sons, Rathore said.
The eight accused persons are absconding and efforts are being made to nab them, he added.
Condemning the murder, former chief minister Kamal Nath wrote on X, “A Dalit youth was beaten to death with sticks in Indergarh of Shivpuri. After this murder in broad daylight, it has been proved once again that Dalits are not safe in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.
There is not a single day when an incident of atrocity on Dalits does not occur in the state, said the Congress leader.
“Under the BJP rule, the audacity of bullies is increasing and it has become their habit to oppress the Dalits and tribals,” he wrote on the social media platform.
Nath also demanded special arrangements to ensure the safety of Dalits and tribals in MP.
