IPL 2021: Padikkal’s ton, Kohli’s 6,000 runs, record opening stand – a night of milestones for RCB

On a night of milestones, Royal Challengers Bangalore maintained their perfect start to the 2021 season in the Indian Premier League with their fourth straight win, improving on their best-ever start to the tournament. It was also RCB’s 200th match in the IPL, as they became the second franchise after Mumbai Indians to reach that milestone.

The headlines though belonged to young Devdutt Padikkal, who scored his first IPL hundred and skipper Virat Kohli, who became the first batsman to cross 6,000 runs in the tournament.

Pace bowlers Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel claimed three wickets each to set up victory after Bangalore kept Rajasthan down to 177/9.

Siraj struck early with two key wickets of Jos Buttler, for eight, and David Miller, for nought, as Rajasthan slipped to 18-3 after being put into bat first.

Shivam Dube’s 32-ball 46 boosted the Rajasthan total but in the end, it proved well below par.

Padikkal, who made 101*, and Kohli, who made 72, stood undefeated as Bangalore outplayed Rajasthan Royals by 10 wickets in Mumbai to reclaim the top spot in the eight-team table.

Bangalore chased down their target of 178 with 3.3 overs to spare even as a proud Kohli warned his fans not to get “over-excited” as Bangalore search for their maiden IPL title.

The left-handed Padikkal raised his hundred in just 51 balls as he hit 11 fours and six sixes.

Kohli witnessed the 20-year-old’s innings from the other end and praised the youngster for a stellar show.

“It was an outstanding innings. He did pick the right areas to hit and once he got going it was almost impossible to stop him,” said Kohli.

“Great talent, great one to watch out for in the future. I had the best seat in the house and thoroughly enjoyed his innings.”

Kohli, who smashed three sixes in his 47-ball knock, started cautiously and slowly picked up the pace as he reached his first fifty of the season in 34 balls.

The skipper soon went past 6,000 IPL runs in 196 games to increase the gap between him and number two IPL scorer Suresh Raina of Chennai Super Kings (5,448 in 197 matches).

Here are the various milestones RCB achieved on the night:

(Scroll across or swipe right to view all columns in the tables below)

The unbroken partnership between Padikkal and Kohli was the joint fourth-best for the opening wicket in the IPL and best for RCB.

Virat Kohli-Devdutt Padikkal partnership: 181*

- The record opening partnership for RCB

- The highest all-Indian partnership for RCB

- The fourth highest for RCB (following Kohli-ABD, Kohli-ABD, Gayle-Kohli)

The partnership also meant that Kohli’s name now features in RCB’s four highest partnerships, the only player across teams to have that feat.

RCB’s 10-wicket win was the fourth in the franchise’s history in IPL and the second against RR. Now the franchise has registered more than two 10-wicket wins in the tournament (MI, CSK, SRH have two each). It was also the third highest score to be chased down without losing a wicket, and the highest for RCB.

With his century against Royals, Padikkal became the first player born after 2000 to score an IPL century and the third youngest overall. He is also only the fourth player to score a century in IPL while being uncapped by the national side.

Padikkal’s century also was significant for RCB because it put them one clear on the table of the franchise with the most centurions in the history of IPL.

(With AFP inputs)

(Stats courtesy: ESPNCricinfo, iplt20.com and Scroll.in research)