BENGALURU: Virat Kohli’s 77 and a finishing act by Dinesh Karthik helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Punjab Kings by four wickets for their opening IPL win of the season on Monday.
Master batsman Kohli smashed 11 fours and two sixes in his 49-ball blitz as hosts Bengaluru chased down their victory target of 177 with four balls to spare to bounce back from their loss in the opener of the lucrative T20 tournament.
Kohli fell to fast bowler Harshal Patel in the 16th over and soon Bengaluru lost another wicket before Karthik (28) and impact substitute Mahipal Lomror (17) steered the team home in an unbeaten stand of 48 off 18 balls.
Karthik hit two sixes and three fours including the winning boundary in his 10-ball knock.
Bowlers set up victory with pace spearhead Mohammed Siraj and spinner Glenn Maxwell taking two wickets each to keep Punjab down to 176-6 despite skipper Shikhar Dhawan’s 45.
Kohli, who missed India’s 4-1 Test series victory over England because of the birth of his second child, then took charge after he was dropped on the second ball of the chase by Jonny Bairstow at first slip off Sam Curran.
He capitalized on the spill on nought and hit the left-handed Curran for four boundaries including three successive hits to set up the chase in the first over.
His flowing cover drives, flicks on the on side and behind-the-wicket hits raised the noise at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium as chants of “Kohli, Kohli” filled the air.
He raised his 51st IPL fifty in 31 balls and became the third batsman after Chris Gayle and David Warner to score his 100th 50-plus knock in T20 cricket.
Punjab fast bowler Kagiso Rabada struck early with the key wickets of skipper Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green — both the batsmen out on three.
Kohli stood firm but Punjab bowlers got down a few disciplined overs to put the pressure back on Bengaluru, but the star batsman, and later Karthik, ensured victory.
Bengaluru invited Punjab to bat first and struck regular blows after Siraj send Bairstow trudging back to the pavilion for eight.
Batsmen failed to convert starts with Prabhsimran Singh and Curran out for 25 and 23 respectively.
Virat Kohli’s 77 helps Bengaluru beat Punjab in IPL
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Virat Kohli’s 77 helps Bengaluru beat Punjab in IPL
- Master batsman Kohli smashed 11 fours and two sixes in his 49-ball blitz
Saudi golf professionals sign new partnerships with SAL
- By sponsoring Khalid Attieh and Faisal Salhab, SAL is reinforcing its commitment to nurturing talent
- Last Friday saw conclusion of 2025 SAL Golf Cup at scenic Nofa Golf Resort
RIYADH: SAL Logistics Services have announced the signing of sponsorship agreements with Saudi professional golfers Khalid Attieh and Faisal Salhab. The announcement was made during a ceremony at Dirab Golf & Country Club in Riyadh, attended by Rayan Al-Bakri, chief strategy, development & execution of SAL, and the athletes.
Under the partnerships, the national provider of logistics solutions will support the professional journeys of the athletes by equipping them with the necessary resources, providing an integrated marketing and media platform that highlights their presence in tournaments and sporting events, and enabling them to represent the SAL brand in local and international championships. The players will also take part in joint initiatives that promote the connection between sports and the logistics and supply chain ecosystem.
With the new sponsorship of Attieh and Salhab, SAL is aiming to reinforce its commitment to nurturing national talent and promoting global sportsmanship.
Al-Bakri said: “We are proud to sponsor a distinguished group of Saudi golfers who represent the Kingdom in major regional and international tournaments. These partnerships reinforce our belief in the importance of investing in national talent and linking their sporting achievements to the Kingdom’s transformational journey toward becoming a global center across multiple sectors, including sports and logistics, in alignment with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.”
Last Friday saw the conclusion of the 2025 SAL Golf Cup at the scenic Nofa Golf Resort. The event wrapped up a full year of monthly competitions that brought together more than 100 golfers and strengthened the local golf community across the Kingdom.
This year’s champions were crowned based on cumulative points earned throughout the season. Gerard Hattie claimed the Division A title with 1,510 points, while Mark Day secured the Division B championship with 1,300 points, both demonstrating consistency and strong performance throughout the year.
The event also featured Saudi professional golfer Othman Al-Mulla, sponsored by SAL, who took part in the tournament and presented additional prizes to the competition winners, adding a professional and inspiring touch to the celebration.
