IPL 2019:: Virat Kohli makes his fifth IPL ton count against KKR

RCB skipper Virat Kohli ensures his fifth IPL ton ends up in a winning cause as KKR are beaten by 10 runs

Virat Kohli made his fifth IPL ton count as Royal Challengers Bangalore prevented Kolkata Knight Riders from running away with a last-over win at Eden Gardens last night.

Set to score 24 to win after the 19th over, KKR were kept quiet by Mooen Ali to give RCB a 10-run win. KKR ended up with 203-5, after RCB scored 213-4. Earlier, Kohli got to his fifth IPL century after Moeen Ali generated the momentum midway through the innings with a 28-ball 66 as Royal Challengers Bangalore put up an ominous 213 for four in their 20 overs. Kohli fell in the last ball of the innings, his 100 coming off 58 balls with nine fours and four sixes.

Though RCB were successful in dismissing KKR's top four batsmen cheaply, the dangerous Andre Russell (65) and Nitish Rana (85 not out) kept the hosts in the hunt with some incredible hits.

Andre Russell who scored 65

Parthiv Patel left early, caught in the country as he tried to hoist Narine over the mid-wicket boundary and new man Aksdeep Nath left in the ninth over. Kohli was still not flowing, and it was left to Moeen to lift the run rate.

Also Read: IPL 2019: RCB pull-off 10-run win after another Russell carnage

Kohli survived some anxious moments before he got into the groove, edging the first ball he faced that fell inches short of the slip and then, after getting past a DRS on leg-before, edging another to the third man boundary.

Kohli opened up at the first sight of Kuldeep Yadav, stepping out to drive over the bowler and then caressed one through covers but he could have gone when on 54 had Piyush Chawla not been slow on to a skier.

It was, however, Mooen who took a particular liking to the chinaman bowler, hitting him all over the park in an innings that had five boundarires and six sixes. Three sixes and a couple of fours came in Kuldeep's final over, which yielded 27 runs and also saw Moeen falling in the final ball. It was the 16th over and the cue for Kolhi to open up even more.

RCB were a vulnerable 60 for two after nine overs but the next 11 produced 153. Nothing seemed to be going right for the Knights and Kuldeep letting one slip through on the boundary to give Kohli his century off the second-last ball of the innings summed up their day. Kohli fell the next ball, caught in the deep. The Knights were, of course, left hoping that he can do it again for them with the bat.

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