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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Why did BJP ask its leaders to say Constitution will be changed?: Akhilesh Yadav
Agra (UP) (PTI): Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday targeted the BJP, saying why did it "ask its leaders" to repeatedly say that the "Constitution would be changed".
Addressing an election rally in Jalesar of Agra Lok Sabha constituency, Yadav said that the "lying" BJP government will have to answer the "real questions" of the people in the ongoing elections.
"The public's real question for the BJP is why did it ask its leaders to repeatedly say that the Constitution given by Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar will be changed? Does the BJP have an answer to this?" the SP chief said.
"Why did the BJP raise the issue of changing the Constitution -- that protects the exploited, deprived and oppressed -- to end reservations. These are the real questions of the public, to which the BJP has no answer," he said.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Yadav said, "Those who used to talk about 'Mann Ki Baat' should now talk about the Constitution. Now, they can not do everything according to their whims. Now, the lying BJP government will have to face the true questions of the people."
Yadav further targeted the government over lack of government jobs, papers leak and the Agnipath scheme.
"If BJP does not have an answer, it should not be given votes," he said.
Terming the electoral bonds as a ploy to extort industrialists, Yadav said it led to inflation.
After the Lok Sabha elections, when the INDIA bloc government is formed, the Agniveer scheme will be abolished, farmers will get guaranteed minimum support price and the poor will get more nutritious free ration, he said.
The poor and women will also be given Rs 1 lakh, he added.
Agra will go to polls on May 7 in the third phase of the Lok Sabha elections.
