Royal Challengers Bangalore returned to the top of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 points table with their fourth successive win in the T20 league this season. Virat Kohli’s side posted a massive 10-wicket win as the skipper and young opener Devdutt Padikkal put on 181 runs for the first wicket at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (April 22).


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While Kohli looked in fluent form, it was Devdutt Padikkal who dominated the show as he slammed his maiden IPL ton.


But, it was Kohli’s celebration after fifty that has become the talk on the social media. After reaching his 40th IPL fifty, Kohli – who became the first player to score 6000 IPL runs – kissed and then gestured a cradle indicating that he is dedicating the knock to his newborn daughter, Vamika.


Here is how Twitter fans reacted:



 



Kohli and his wife Anushka were blessed with a daughter in January 2021. Virat Kohli's wife Anushka and daughter Vamika are staying with him as the RCB management has allowed the family members of the players to travel with them.


Padikkal deserved to get that hundred, says Kohli


Padikkal’s unbeaten 101 and Kohli’s 72 not out helped RCB beat Rajasthan by 10 wickets. “It was an outstanding innings. He (Padikkal) batted really well for his first season last time. There was a lot of talk about him not accelerating after getting to 30s. He’s put all that to rest. It was a good pitch to bat on to be honest, and him being tall meant that bowlers struggled with their lengths. T20 cricket is always about partnerships,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.


When asked about his own knock, Kohli said, “You can’t always go big from the word go. When one guy is going well, it’s important for me to ensure that I don’t lose my wicket. It can change on other days. We spoke about it (on the 100). He told me to finish it off, I told him to get to it first. He said many will come, I said yeah you can say that after you get to the landmark. He deserved to get the three-figure mark,” he added.


Chasing 178, RCB got across the line in 16.3 overs to go back at the top of the points table. Kohli also credited the bowlers for restricting the opponents to a below-par score.


“We don’t have standout names (in bowling) but we have effective ones. We have depth in our bowling. They are professionals. We have taken the most wickets in the death overs this season so far and it`s something we take pride in. Dev’s innings was a great one but I’d also like to credit the bowlers for setting it up. (to the fans) I’d say don’t be overexcited. We’re being professional. We`re moving in the right direction,” Kohli said.