Virat Kohli’s 8th IPL century went in vain as the Rajasthan Royals comfortably chased down the 184-run target on the back of a splendid century from Jos Buttler. Kohli scored the joint slowest IPL century in history as his landmark came off 67 deliveries. This was not the first time that Virat Kohli scored a century in a losing cause. Here is a look at three such instances when Kohli’s ton wasn’t enough to take RCB to a win:
100 off 63 balls against Gujarat Lions in 2016
The leading run-getter in IPL cricket, Virat Kohli has been a bonafide legend of the tournament. One of the most consistent batters of all time, Kohli scored a century against the Gujarat Lions back in 2016. He batted through the innings and remained unbeaten on 100 off 63 balls. Batting first, RCB posted a challenging score of 180/2 in their allotted 20 overs, with Virat scoring his maiden T20 century. Like most of Virat’s knocks, this one too was flamboyant in the powerplay, measured in the middle overs, and accelerated toward the end. Kohli was restrained in his approach after AB de Villiers was dismissed and struck just a solitary boundary in six overs.
KL Rahul upped the scoring rate with a 34-ball fifty but they could only muster 180, which didn’t prove to be enough eventually. The Gujarat Lions were off to a flying start courtesy of their opening duo of Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith. The two raced off to 47 inside the powerplay with Smith calling the shots. Following his departure, it was McCullum who continued the charge. Eventually, it was a half-century from Dinesh Karthik which got GL over the finish line in the final over.
101 off 61 balls against Gujarat Titans in 2023
Virat had another prolific season for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (now Bengaluru) in 2023. He scored a couple of centuries last season, one of them coming against the Gujarat Titans. Batting first, RCB posted a competitive score of 197 but it wasn’t a safe score at the Chinnaswamy, a batters’ paradise. Like most of the times, Kohli and Faf du Plessis got their side off to a brilliant start and shared a 67-run stand in 7.1 overs. The stage looked set for the middle order but quick dismissals of Glenn Maxwell and Mahipal Lomror didn’t allow Kohli to play freely.
Michael Bracewell and Anuj Rawat chipped in with useful contributions but it was Virat Kohli’s domination that took RCB to a sizeable score of 197. His 101-run knock included 13 fours and a solitary six. However, the opposition was not bothered by the stiff target and came out with a positive intent. Shubman Gill looked in ominous touch and was supported brilliantly by Vijay Shankar for the second wicket partnership. Gill continued his rich form in the tournament scoring an unbeaten century to take his side over the finish line. His exceptional knock of 104 came off just 52 deliveries and included 5 fours and 8 sixes.
113 off 72 deliveries against Rajasthan Royals in 2024
In the latest in the list is the century from last night. After being put to bat by Rajasthan Royals’ skipper Sanju Samson, RCB were off to a flyer courtesy of a flurry of boundaries from Virat Kohli. He started brilliantly by finding gaps at will. Faf du Plessis struggled initially before getting into his groove and started finding the boundaries.
RCB needed some big overs and despite finding boundaries in the initial part of many overs, they failed to capitalise on the remaining deliveries which backfired in the end. Virat was happy rotating the strike for the majority of his innings and the big shots didn’t come as often as the team required. Even during the 19th over, Virat was seen knocking around for singles as he was nearing a century. He completed his landmark in the penultimate over and accelerated in the final over. However, it wasn’t enough to post a winning total. Jos Butler scored and unbeaten ton and Sanju Samson scored 69 which ensured a comfortable victory for Rajasthan Royals.