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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Chhattisgarh: Three detained in connection with Bijapur journalist's murder
Bijapur (PTI): Three persons have been detained in connection with the murder of a 33-year-old journalist whose body was found in a septic tank on a local contractor's property in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, police said on Saturday.
Mukesh Chandrakar, a freelance journalist, went missing on January 1, and his body was found on Friday in the septic tank on a property owned by contractor Suresh Chandrakar at Chattanpara Basti in Bijapur town.
"Three persons have been detained in connection with the murder and are being interrogated," an official here said.
The police, however, did not disclose their names and said the details would be revealed later in the day.
Mukesh worked as a freelance journalist for news channels, including NDTV, and ran a YouTube channel, 'Bastar Junction', which has some 1.59 lakh subscribers. He had played a crucial role in the release of a CoBRA commando, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, from Maoists' captivity in April 2021 following the Takalguda Naxal ambush in Bijapur, wherein 22 security personnel were martyred.
He went missing on Wednesday evening, and his elder brother Yukesh Chandrakar lodged a complaint with the police the next day, a senior police official said.
Tracking Mukesh's mobile number, police reached the property owned by Suresh Chandrakar and found the body in a septic tank, which was freshly cast with concrete slab, he said.
Police suspect the murder is linked to a recent report of irregularities in road construction work in the district the victim had covered. Suresh Chandrakar is said to be involved in the work.
Journalists held a symbolic road blockade at Hospital Chowk on National Highway 36 in the city in the morning, demanding that the contractor's properties in Bastar division, including Bijapur, be attached and a case be registered against him.
They also demanded a death sentence for the contractor and others involved in the murder, removal of security detail for him, and sealing of his bank accounts, among other demands.
The protesting journalists also sought the suspension or transfer of the Bijapur superintendent of police.
Protestors have warned of an indefinite road blockade from Sunday if their demands are not met.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Friday assured that the culprits would be arrested at the earliest.
Meanwhile, members of the Raipur Press Club on Friday gathered at Jai Stambh Chowk and demanded action against the killers and sought that the state government constitute a special investigation team to probe the murder.
