Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stand-in captain Virat Kohli wasn’t in the best of moods after bowling first in their IPL 2023 match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Kohli and RCB were condemned to a 21-run defeat by KKR with the home team’s bowler carted around for yet another 200-plus total.
KKR opener Jason Roy set the pace for Nitish Rana’s side, hammering 56 off 29 balls in an opening partnership of 83 runs with Narayan Jagadeesan. Kohli was seen sulking in the field, in a video which went viral as Roy smashed left-arm spinning all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed for 4 sixes in one over. Shahbaz only bowled that solitary over, conceding 25 runs in it.
— Guess Karo (@KuchNahiUkhada) April 26, 2023
RCB became the side to concede 200 runs most times in the history of IPL – 24 times – surpassing the record of Punjab Kings, who have conceded it 23 times. They are followed by KKR (18), Chennai Super Kings (17), Delhi Capitals (16), Rajasthan Royals (14), Sunrisers Hyderabad (14) and Mumbai Indians (11).
We deserved to lose: RCB captain Virat Kohli
Kohli was irate after losing the match against KKR, who ended their four-match losing IPL 2023. RCB stand-in skipper said his team deserved to lose the match.
“To be honest we handed over the game to them. We deserved to lose. We weren’t professional enough. We bowled well but fielding was not up to standard. This was a freebie handed over to them. In the field, we dropped two chances, that cost us 25-30 runs,” Kohli said at the post-match presentation.
KKR captain Nitish Rana was pleased by the collective efforts from his side. “Today we wanted to put up a total and hope for spin to come in. We thought it was dry and it would turn. As such it didn't quite turn but our bowlers turned up. Suyash has always been the first to out his hand up and say I will do it for you. We hope to keep repeating what we did today,” Rana said after the match.
Chasing 201 to win, RCB were restricted to 179 for 8 in spite of a 49th IPL fifty by Kohli. Varun Chakravarthy picked up 3/27 and Andre Russell claimed 2/29 for Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan-owned KKR side.
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