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AHMEDABAD: Virat Kohli starred with an unbeaten half-century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinched back-to-back IPL titles with a win over Gujarat Titans on Sunday.
Chasing a stiff 156, RCB secured the victory in 18 overs, losing five wickets in the process.
Kohli sealed victory with a six to cap a magnificent 42-ball innings featuring nine fours and three sixes, then pointed to the stands as Bengaluru players sprinted out to celebrate.
Bengaluru and Kohli have been on a roll since they won their first IPL crown at the 18th attempt last year at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
Kohli’s iconic number 18 jersey dominated the stands at the world’s biggest cricket ground, which recorded an official attendance of over 90,000 spectators on Sunday.
Kohli and fellow opener Venkatesh Iyer, who hit 32 off 16 balls, got Bengaluru off to a flying start in a 62-run partnership.
Mohammed Siraj broke the stand as he dismissed Iyer and Kagiso Rabada removed Devdutt Padikkal from the other end.
Rashid Khan struck twice in one over to send back skipper Rajat Patidar for 15 and Krunal Pandya to raise Gujarat’s hopes.
But Tim David and Kohli put on 41 runs to steady the chase. David fell for 24 but Kohli saw the team through with Jitesh Sharma for company.
Bengaluru’s quicks set up the victory as Rasikh Salam stood out with 3-27 in a disciplined attack alongside Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who both took two wickets each.
The trio justified the decision to put Gujarat in to bat, striking early and regularly. Only Washington Sundar offered much resistance as he scored a defiant 50 not out.
Hazlewood landed the first blow as he dismissed skipper Shubman Gill for 10 with Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar taking a fine running catch.
Kumar dislodged the other opener, Sai Sudharsan, for 12 in the next over.
Both Gill and Sudharsan were in the race for the Orange Cap awarded to the top scorer in the IPL season, but Rajasthan Royals’ 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ended top of the list with 776 runs.
Gill (732) and Sudharsan (722) finished second and third. Kohli was fourth with 675 runs, including one century.
Nishant Sindhu, who made 20, and Jos Buttler attempted to steady the Gujarat innings but struggled against a miserly attack and soon Salam removed Sindhu.
Krunal Pandya had Buttler stumped for 19 with his left-arm spin and Gujarat slumped to 73-4 in 12.1 overs.
Wickets continued to fall but Sundar stood firm to reach his fifty in the 20th over.
The effort was not enough as Gujarat ended runners-up for the second time in three finals, with their only triumph coming in their debut season in 2022.
