Virat Kohli creates IPL history as Bangalore captain, smashes multiple records during RCB vs PBKS IPL 2023 match
Batting icon Virat Kohli was back at the helm when Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) squared off against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in match No.27 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium on Thursday.
Kohli, who earlier stepped down as RCB’s captain, was reinstated as the leader of the Bangalore franchise for their IPL 2023 match against Punjab Kings.
Kohli captained the Royal Challengers Bangalore as regular skipper Faf du Plessis was used as an Impact Player against Punjab Kings. Opening the innings with stand-in skipper Kohli, RCB’s regular captain Du Plessis tormented the Punjab Kings bowlers in the action-packed contest at Mohali. Leading the Bangalore franchise from the front, Kohli also smashed a sublime half-century as his batting heroics laid the foundation for a competitive total.
Kohli is the second-highest run-getter for RCB against Punjab in the IPL. The stand-in skipper smashed multiple records with his gritty half-century against the Shikhar Dhawan-less side. Rewriting history in the cash-rich league on Thursday, Kohli became the first batter to score 6,500 runs in the IPL as captain. Kohli has achieved the staggering feat in 186 innings. The batting icon also joined Shikhar Dhawan and David Warner on an elite list. Kohli is the third batter to hit 600 fours in the world’s richest T20 league.
Delhi Capitals (DC) skipper Warner has struck 608 fours in the world’s richest T20 league while Punjab Kings skipper Dhawan has hit 730 fours in his incredible IPL career. The senior batter missed RCB’s match against PBKS as the Punjab skipper is nursing a shoulder niggle. England batter Liam Livingstone was named in the PBKS XI while all-rounder Sam Curran captained the Punjab side in the absence of Dhawan.
Talking more about the match, Kohli slammed 59 off 47 balls while Du Plessis played a stroke-filled knock of 84 off 56 balls to help RCB post 174-4 in 20 overs. Kohli’s RCB outclassed PBKS by 24 runs to secure the fifth spot on the IPL 2023 points table. The Bangalore stand-in captain has climbed to the second spot on the Orange Cap standings after smashing his fourth half-century of the IPL 2023. The 34-year-old has amassed 279 runs in 6 matches for RCB this season.