IPL 2021: Virat Kohli's last match as RCB captain ends in loss as KKR wins Eliminator

Indian batting sensation Virat Kohli on what turned out to be his last match as the captain of RCB met with a bitter loss against KKR in the Eliminator of Indian Premier League(IPL) 2021 on October 11. Kohli earlier announced ahead of the second leg of IPL 2021 in UAE, that he will step down from the captaincy of the franchise post the ongoing season. However, he also mentioned that he will continue to play for RCB as a player till he decided to bid adieu to the tournament.

In the Eliminator, RCB opted to bat first after winning the toss. However, that crucial decision by Kohli backfired for RCB, as the sudden dismissals of openers Devdutt Padikkal and Kohli, left them without any other batters to continue their rhythm and were all unable to cross the 20-runs individual mark. Padikkal and Kohli stitched together a partnership of 49 runs before the former got dismissed by Lockie Ferguson after scoring 21 runs off 18 balls. Kohli on the other hand scored 39 runs off 33 balls as RCB posted a target of 139 runs for KKR. Kolkata's spinners played a huge role in restricting RCB for a below-par score as veteran off-spinner Sunil Narine picked the maximum of four wickets by giving away just 21 runs. Ferguson also finished the innings with two dismissals to his name.

RCB lost the match despite a clinical performance from the bowlers

Chasing the target of 139 runs, KKR openers Shubman Gill and Venkatesh Iyer scored 29 and 26 runs respectively and gave the team a strong start in the eliminator. No. 4 batter Nitish Rana scored 23 runs off 25 balls before Narine once again contributed to the match, courtesy of his quickfire knock of 26 runs off 15 balls. KKR wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik scored 10 runs off 12 balls before getting dismissed by Mohammed Siraj. Skipper Eoin Morgan and allrounder Shakib Al Hassan finished the match for KKR by scoring 5 and 9 runs respectively, as KKR cruised to victory. 

RCB bowlers Siraj, Harshal Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal chipped in two wickets each with an economy rate of fewer than five runs per over. However, despite the clinical bowling performance by KKR, Virat Kohli’s men fell short of runs on the board to defend and lost the match by four wickets. KKR will now proceed to Qualifier 2 of IPL, which is scheduled to be played on October 13. They will now lock horns with the IPL 2021 group stage table-toppers Delhi Capitals in a bid to earn a ticket for the IPL 2021 final against Chennai Super Kings(CSK).

(Image: iplt20.com/BCCI)