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Virat Kohli once again showcased his class with the bat, guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a convincing seven-wicket win over Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday, April 20.
Kohli played a match-winning knock of 73 not out from 54 balls at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, Chandigarh.
Kohli Shines in Another Away Win for RCB
Chasing a target of 158 runs, RCB sealed the game in 18.5 overs, with Jitesh Sharma finishing it off in style by smashing a six off Nehal Wadhera.
Kohli, who struck seven fours and one six, shared a crucial 103-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal for the second wicket.
Padikkal was impressive too, hitting 61 off just 35 deliveries, including five fours and four sixes.
This marked RCB’s fifth victory of the IPL season—all of which have come in away games.
Player of the Match and Record-Breaking Fifty
Kohli’s fine form earned him the Player of the Match award. The half-century in this game was his 59th in the IPL and his 67th 50+ score overall in the tournament.
He now holds the record for the most 50+ scores in IPL history, surpassing David Warner, who sits second with 66.
Tense Moment With Iyer Draws Mixed Reactions
pic.twitter.com/SrpFKweD1X https://t.co/NwAGfdW2dV
— a. ? (@incessantkohli) April 20, 2025
Shreyas iyyer is clearly not happy with virat kohli’s attitude towards others. Not a good thing for indian cricket. Virat Kohli is destroying indian cricket from inside ?#PBKSvsRCB #ViratKohli #ShreyasIyer #TATAIPL2025 pic.twitter.com/uS1ShtKBtT
— Saurabh ? (@Cricket_Gyaani_) April 20, 2025
Jitesh Sharma dials
to seal it in style ?
Virat Kohli remains unbeaten on 73*(54) in yet another chase ?@RCBTweets secure round
of the battle of reds
Scorecard
https://t.co/6htVhCbltp#TATAIPL | #PBKSvRCB pic.twitter.com/6dqDTEPoEA
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2025
However, it wasn’t just Kohli’s performance with the bat that caught attention.
After the match ended, a video surfaced online showing Kohli in a visibly aggressive exchange with PBKS skipper Shreyas Iyer.
The intense interaction raised eyebrows, with many fans questioning the timing and tone of Kohli’s behavior.
Some supporters reacted strongly on social media, saying, “Not good for Team India.”
PBKS Struggled Despite Solid Start
In the first innings, PBKS were restricted to 157 for 6.
Prabhsimran Singh top-scored for the home side, while Shashank Singh remained unbeaten on 31 from 33 balls.
RCB’s bowlers did well to contain the PBKS batters. Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma both picked up two wickets each in their four-over spells.
With this win, RCB continued their solid run on the road and climbed further up the points table.
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