Amidst the talk about strike rate, Virat Kohli’s celebration after scoring 50 runs in 32 balls says it all. cricket news

Will Jacques hit a sensational century while Virat Kohli improved his game in the middle overs as Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Gujarat Titans by nine wickets in the IPL on Sunday. Kohli (70 off 44), whose approach to the middle overs had been questioned in the previous game, looked to make a statement before Jack (100 not out off 41) reduced the score to 201- for the spinners. Used sweep shot against. Complete the target with 24 balls remaining. Jack went crazy in the last over of the game and hit four sixes and four sixes on Rashid Khan to end the game sooner than expected. The Englishman hit more than 10 sixes in his breathtaking effort.

Put into bat, Shahrukh Khan (58 off 30) made full use of his promotion up the batting order, while Sai Sudarshan (84 not out off 49) held on till the end to take Gujarat Titans to 200 for three. The Titans had introduced the spin very early and Kohli was up to the task, making his intentions clear by hitting two consecutive sixes off left-arm spinner Ravi Sai Kishore.

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He was particularly harsh on another Afghan spinner, Noor Ahmed, sweeping him at will before completing his half-century off 32 balls.

After this, Kohli didn’t need to do much as Jacques took the Titans bowlers to task. RCB, enduring another tough season, recorded their third win in 10 matches, while the Titans suffered their sixth defeat in 10 matches. It looks like the Faf du Plessis-led side has finally picked up some momentum and registered two consecutive wins on Sunday. Earlier, batting at number four, Shahrukh along with Sudarshan gave the necessary push to Gujarat Titans after a slow start. Both made a partnership of 86 runs in 45 balls.

RCB came out to bat in the scorching heat of Ahmedabad as Glenn Maxwell returned to the playing eleven after a “mental and physical health” break.

Wriddhiman Saha (4 off 5) was out in the first over bowled by left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh. The former India wicketkeeper tried to create space for an aerial hit over extra cover, but mistimed Karn Sharma’s ball at third man.

Captain Shubman Gill (16) was foiled by the on-field brilliance of Cameron Green, who raced to his left to take a brilliant catch at long-on off the bowling of Maxwell.

With improvement at the other end, Titans decided to do something different and sent Shahrukh ahead of Azmatullah Omarzai and David Miller.

The move worked as Shahrukh hit five sixes and three fours, mainly off the spinners in the Cow Corner area. Mohammed Siraj completed his half-century with a maximum over long-on off Green before clean bowling him with a sharp yorker. Miller (26 not out off 19 runs) joined Sudarshan in the middle and the two made an unbeaten 69-run partnership off 36 balls to take the team to an even score.

Sudharan’s second consecutive fifty-plus score included eight fours and four sixes.

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