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What was supposed to be a challenging run-chase of 201 runs against Gujarat Titans (GT) for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned into a child's play within a matter of few overs as Virat Kohli and Will Jacks made a mockery of 2022 champions' spin trio of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed, Sai Kishore and pacer Mohit Sharma with their incredible six-hitting.
They sent the fans down memory lane and reminded them of heroics by Virat with AB de Villiers against a now-defunct Gujarat Lions back in the 2016 season, where they both scored centuries and put on a 229-run stand for the second wicket. The duo put on a partnership of 166 runs in just 73 balls to guide their team to a nine-wicket win. Virat smashed an unbeaten 70 in 44 balls, with six fours and three sixes to hold one end steady, while Jacks unleashed unprecedented carnage after reaching his fifty in 31 balls as he reached his century in 41 balls, with five fours and 10 sixes, going on a six-hitting spree. Here are the records re-written and shattered by Jacks-Virat during their partnership: -10 balls: Jacks took just 10 balls to convert a half-century into a match-winning ton. This is the fewest a player has taken to reach a hundred in the IPL. The previous best was by Chris Gayle, who took only 13 balls to convert his half-century into a ton, reaching the three-figures in just 30 balls against now-defunct Pune Warriors back in 2013. -This is only RCB's second 200-plus run-chase in IPL history, that has come after a massive gap of 14 years. The Red and Gold side has given a platform to superstar batters like Virat, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Faf Du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Kevin Pietersen etc over the years to showcase their proven, international-level class for the franchise and yet such a gap existed. RCB's previous 200-plus run chase was back in March 2010 against Punjab Kings, when Jacques Kallis (89*) and Robin Uthappa (51*) powered them to a successful chase of 204 runs. -RCB is the first team to secure a win by nine or more wickets during a run-chase of over 200 runs in the IPL. -This exciting franchise was still left with 24 balls when a gigantic six by Jacks helped him get his century and the team their third victory. This is the largest win in terms of balls remaining in IPL history (and the joint-largest in all of T20 cricket), overtaking MI's win over RCB in 2023 when they were left with 23 balls while chasing 200 runs. -Virat brought his absolute top game against spin, clubbing Rashid, Noor and Sai with class and consistency he has not shown against spinners for a long while. Known to attack pacers over spin, a different Virat turned up for this match. He scored 61 runs out of his 70 against spin, the most he has made against spin in a single T20 innings. Also, his strike rate of 179.41 against spinners was his third-highest against the spinners in IPL, after 240.90 against Punjab Kings (scoring 53 in 22 balls out of a total of 113 in 50 balls) (PBKS) in 2016 and 188.46 against Gujarat Lions in 2016 (Scoring 49 in 26 balls out of a total of 109 in 55 balls). -The T20 superstar from Afghanistan, Rashid Khan continued his rough run in the IPL 2024 as he was given a beating to remember. In the 16th over, Virat took a single and Jacks unleashed his carnage to smash 6,6,4,6,6 in the next five balls, looting 29 runs from the over. This is Rashid's most expensive over in all of T20 cricket. -Jacks smashed 95 runs in the middle overs (seven to 16 overs), the third most by a batter in an IPL innings during middle overs, with the first being Virender Sehwag scoring 107 runs against Deccan Chargers back in 2011 and Gayle smashing 105 runs in this phase against PWI in 2013. -This is the seventh season for Virat where he has scored 500 runs or more. He is the first Indian to do so and the only second player after David Warner to achieve this feat. -All four of Jacks's T20 centuries have come in 50 or fewer balls, the fastest one coming in 41 balls for Pretoria Capitals against Durban Super Giants (DSG) in SA20 2024. Gayle (10), Maxwell (5) and Suryakumar Yadav (4) are the other players having four or more hundred off 50 or fewer balls in T20 cricket. Coming to the match, half-centuries from Sai Sudarshan (84 in 49 balls, with 12 fours and four sixes) and Shahrukh Khan (58 in 28 balls, with three fours and five sixes) helped GT overcome a slow start with the bat. David Miller's useful 26* in 19 balls, with two fours and a six helped GT reach 200/3 in 20 overs. Swapnil Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Maxwell got a wicket each. In the run-chase, Faf Du Plessis, the skipper (24 in 12 balls, with a four and three sixes) departed early, but Jacks and Virat put on a partnership to remember to win the game for their side. Jacks took home the 'Player of the Match' award. RCB is at the bottom with three wins, seven losses and six points. GT is at seventh with four wins, six losses and eight points. (ANI)
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