IPL 2022: Kohli flops again as RCB dismissed for 68 in nine-wicket loss

Kohli, who was out for a duck again, has now scored just 119 runs from eight matches

By AFP

Published: Sat 23 Apr 2022, 9:52 PM

Virat Kohli’s miserable IPL continued on Saturday when he was dismissed for a second successive golden duck as his Royal Challengers Bangalore were skittled for just 68 by Sunrisers Hyderabad who strolled to a nine-wicket win.

Kohli, who also fell to a first-ball duck against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday, came to the crease in the second over after South African pace bowler Marco Jansen bowled Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis for five.

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Kohli pushed hard at a ball angled across him by the left-arm quick, and edged to Aiden Markram at second slip, who took a comfortable catch.

Kohli, the standard bearer for Indian cricket, has now scored just 119 runs from eight matches.

Three balls later, the same Jansen-Markram combination accounted for opener Anuj Rawat to leave Bangalore reeling at 8-3. Jansen finished with 3-25 from his four overs.

Bangalore were unable to recover and kept losing wickets to go down to the lowest total of this season in 16.1 overs. It was the sixth lowest total ever in the IPL.

Only Glenn Maxwell (12) and Suyash Prabhudessai (15) got into double figures.

Hyderabad romped home with 12 overs to spare and move second in the 10-team table led by Gujarat Titans who beat Kolkata Knight Riders by eight runs in the first match of the day.

Du Plessis admitted that the match was lost in the first four overs on Saturday.

“Those first four overs....it’s probably not losing four or five wickets up front. It was a little spicy in that first few overs, the balls swung a little bit,” he said.

“But you still have to find a way to get a good foundation, even if it means you just absorb it a little longer and sacrifice a few runs just to get through that seaming and swinging ball.”

Bangalore, still searching for their maiden title in the Twenty20 tournament, hold the dubious record of the lowest ever score of 49 against Kolkata Knight Riders in 2017.

The dismal batting show got to the in-form Dinesh Karthik who fell caught behind for nought after Hyderabad successfully reviewed the umpire’s initial not out decision.

T Natarajan took three wickets and left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith took two.

Speedster Umran Malik kept the speed gun busy and got the pace up to 151 kmph (93.8 mph) as he took one wicket for 13 runs from his four overs.

The batters had their task cut out as openers Abhishek Sharma, who hit 47 off 28 deliveries, and skipper Kane Williamson, who made an unbeaten 16, put on 64 runs.

Harshal Patel denied Abhishek his fifty as the batsman was caught out at long on and Rahul Tripathi came out to hit the winning six to hand Hyderabad their fifth straight win.

“It was one of those days really. There was a little bit in the air and the guys bowled beautifully and we caught well,” Williamson said.

“For things to unfold like that, you need a bit to go your way and we got that. Obviously we got that. It was an outstanding performance but a lot went our way.”