SPORTS

Virat Kohli went through a range of emotions on Sunday as Royal Challengers Bangalore were knocked out of the IPL 2023 playoffs race despite a stunning hundred from the former captain. After anxiously waiting for the rain to go away, RCB posted 197 on the board but it was not enough as Gujarat Titans chased down the target with 5 balls to spare and knock the former finalists out. 

Virat Kohli had his head buried in his cap as he was watching Gujarat Titans gun down the target with relative ease. In fact, Kohli threw a bottle in the dugout as he watched Gujarat Titans get closer to the target. 

However, the disappointment turned into appreciation for the opponents as he lauded Shubman Gill for his match-winning 104 not out from the dugout. 

Five-time champions Mumbai Indians are still alive in the race to qualify for the IPL 2023 playoffs. With 14 points from 13 matches played so far, the Rohit Sharma-led side sits at the No. 5 position in the IPL 2023 points table as of now, but if they manage to get the better of Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last league match on Sunday (May 21) and CSK, LSG, and RCB lose their fixtures, then they will not only reach the last four but also finish in the top 2.

The ongoing season of the IPL has been a mixed one for MI, as they have delivered with the bat and chased down three 200-plus totals this year, but their bowlers, except for Piyush Chawla, have disappointed thoroughly. They were already without the services of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, and during the season, Jofra Archer’s injury issues made the matter worse for them. The English pacer featured in a total of five matches for MI, in which he could only manage to take two wickets. He missed as many as six matches during the course of the season before returning to England last week.

Chasemaster Virat Kohli fired his sixth ton, trumping Heinrich Klaasen's maiden IPL century as Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their strong march towards playoffs with a crushing eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a high-scoring thriller in Hyderabad.

After a breathtaking 104 from Klaasen that lit up the Uppal Stadium, Kohli and Faf du Plessis put on their superhero capes as the duo made a mockery of the 187 chase.

Firing the highest partnership of the season, Kohli and du Plessis added 172 runs for the opening wicket as Bangalore cruised to their seventh win and sneaked into the top four, pushing Mumbai Indians to the fifth.

Ricky Ponting and Kuldeep Yadav were left distraught and angry after DC fielders missed catches and fluffed run-outs in a space of three overs vs PBKS.

The Delhi Capitals registered a consolation win over the Punjab Kings on Wednesday night, beating Shikhar Dhawan's men by 15 runs in Dharamsala. For the Capitals, the win took them off from bottom to 9th in the table, but the Punjab Kings faced a significant setback in their hunt for a playoff spot. The side can now finish on a maximum of 14 points, and will need favourable results in other matches to secure a qualification in the knock-out stage.

MI needed 11 off the last over but Mohsin delivered the over the hosts wanted

When Lucknow Super Giants chose to retain Marcus Stonis for ₹10 crore ahead of the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League, it was a clear indication of how highly his talent was rated by the team management. The Australian had done well with both the willow and the ball as the team finished third after losing to the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the playoffs in their maiden season last year.

On Tuesday, the all-rounder once again proved his worth by hitting yet another unbeaten half-century to help the hosts, who were desperately in need of a win to inch closer to the playoffs, notch up a thrilling five-run win against five-time champions Mumbai Indians.