 "Virat Kohli")
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli continues to break records. He has now scored 600 runs or more in three Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons each.
With his knock of 101* in 61 balls, which consisted of 13 fours and a six, he took his run tally in the ongoing season beyond 600 runs. In 14 matches of IPL 2023, he has scored 639 runs at an average of 53.25 and a strike rate above 139. He has scored two centuries and six fifties this season, with best score of 101*. He is the third-highest run-scorer in the league so far.
Virat had previously done this on two occasions, in 2013 (634 runs in 16 matches with six fifties) and in 2016 (973 runs in 16 matches with four centuries and seven fifties. He had also won the 'Orange Cap' for most runs that season.
KL Rahul has four seasons with 600-runs or more to his name.
He achieved this feat in 2018 (659 runs), 2020 (670 runs, Orange Cap winner), 2021 (626 runs) and 2022 (616 runs).
David Warner and Chris Gayle have three IPL seasons with 600-runs or more.
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Warner achieved this feat in 2016 (848 runs), 2017 (641 runs, Orange Cap winner) and 2019 (692 runs, Orange Cap winner)
Gayle also has his three seasons with 600-plus runs in 2011 (608 runs in 12 matches, Orange Cap winner), 2012 (733 runs in 15 matches, Orange Cap winner) and 2013 (708 runs in 16 games).
Faf Du Plessis has also had two IPL seasons with 600-runs or more. In 2021, he scored 633 runs in 16 matches while in the ongoing season, he scored 730 runs in 14 matches and is the current Orange Cap holder.
Put to bat first by GT, RCB posted a total of 197/5 in their 20 overs. Opening the batting, Virat Kohli had a 67-run opening stand with skipper Faf Du Plessis (28 in 19 balls). Useful cameos came from Michael Bracewell (26 in 16 balls) and Anuj Rawat (23* in 15 balls) as well. But it was Virat who stood tall with his second straight century of the season, his seventh overall. He scored 101* in just 61 balls, consisting of 13 fours and a six.
Noor Ahmed (2/39) was the pick of the bowlers for GT. Rashid Khan, Mohammed Shami and Yash Dayal took a wicket each.
In the chase of 198, GT lost Wriddhiman Saha early, but a 123-run stand for the second wicket between Shubman Gill and Vijay Shankar (53 in 35 balls, seven fours and two sixes) brought them back into the game. RCB attempted to make a comeback with some wickets towards the end, but Gill hit the match-winning runs to bring up his second successive IPL ton as well. He scored 104* in 52 balls with five fours and eight sixes. GT chased down the target with five balls to go.
RCB end their campaign in sixth position with seven wins, seven losses and a total of 14 points. GT will be playing CSK in the first qualifier on Tuesday.
Gill clinched the 'Player of the Match' for his knock.
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