BENGALURU: Virat Kohli batted out the innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with his second straight Indian Premier League half-century on Friday but Kolkata Knight Riders still cruised to a seven-wicket victory.
Chasing the home side’s 182-6, Kolkata reached their target with 19 balls to spare when skipper Shreyas Iyer hit an unruffled six off Mayank Dagar.
Their chase was off to a roaring start with Phil Salt (30) and all-rounder Sunil Narine (47) putting on 86 for the visitors, earning fulsome praise from Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis.
“I just thought they were excellent,” he said. “Really broke the game in the first six overs.”
Narine hit five sixes in his 22-ball knock before Dagar bowled him in the seventh, with Salt following in the next over when he was caught at deep square leg.
Venkatesh Iyer made 50 to keep up the momentum before he was caught by Kohli while Shreyas saw out the innings with his 39.
“On that pitch it was very tough,” Shreyas said. “It was important to assess the pitch and wait for those loose deliveries,” Iyer said.
Kohli notched up 83 and made his 50 off 36 balls, throwing a thumbs-up to the jubilant home crowd, and his knock made him the leading tournament run-scorer since the season began last week.
But a lack of able partners left Bengaluru’s innings a one-man show.
Du Plessis was out for eight at the end of the second over when he scooped a perplexing delivery from Harshit Rana straight into the arms of Mitchell Starc.
Cameron Green was the next top-scorer at 33 but was sent back after when he missed a lightning delivery from Andre Russell crashed off his back pad and into the stumps.
Glenn Maxwell survived two easy catches fumbled by Ramandeep Singh and Narine in consecutive overs.
But Narine had his revenge soon afterwards when he sent a bouncer to Maxwell that was powered to deep point and into the arms of Rinku Singh, who kissed the ball in triumph.
Maxwell finished with 28 from 19 balls while Kohli survived a close run out later that over when a replay showed his sliding dive had put him over the crease in time.
Dinesh Karthik made 20 before being run out by Salt on the last ball with Andre Russell pick of the Kolkata bowlers at 2-29.
Kolkata cruise to IPL win in Bengaluru despite Kohli’s 83 not out
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Kolkata cruise to IPL win in Bengaluru despite Kohli’s 83 not out
- Chasing the home side’s 182-6, Knight Riders reached target with 19 balls to spare
Marmoush double helps Man City to 3-1 win at Newcastle and place in FA Cup quarters
- Guardiola made 10 changes for the fifth-round tie from the team that drew 2-2 at home to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday
NEWCASTLE, England: Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush struck twice as the visitors roared back from a goal down to beat Newcastle United 3–1 on Saturday and storm into the FA Cup quarter-finals for the eighth consecutive season.
The win keeps Pep Guardiola’s side on track for a fourth successive FA Cup final appearance, and keeps alive the chance of an elusive quadruple — Premier League, Champions League, League Cup and FA Cup trophies in a single season.
“This is the best performance we have played in this stadium since my decade here,” Guardiola told TNT Sports. “That is consistency and that is why I am proud.”
Newcastle got off to a bright start and Harvey Barnes ran onto a through ball before firing into the far corner in the 18th minute to give the hosts the lead.
Seven-times FA Cup winners City, who are second in the Premier League, then flexed their muscles and Savinho equalized in the 39th with a bizarre goal when Jeremy Doku’s ball behind the defense rolled to the Brazilian and bounced in off his leg.
Marmoush scored the first of his two goals — and seventh against Newcastle since joining City in January last year — in the 47th when Matheus Nunes found him unmarked with a low ball across the face of goal and he fired into the roof of the net.
Marmoush completed his double in the 65th minute in similar fashion, latching onto a Nunes cross and striking a fierce shot.
There was no chance of a hat-trick as Guardiola sent Antoine Semenyo on the Egyptian’s place shortly after.
The manager, who was animated all night, waving his arms and jumping up and down, wrapped Marmoush in a huge hug as the forward headed to the bench.
“A decent performance, we didn’t start so well,” Marmoush told TNT. “We conceded early, but we showed our mentality and our passion on the pitch ... we’re very happy to go to the next round.”
Guardiola made 10 changes for the fifth-round tie from the team that drew 2-2 at home to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday.
City’s Premier League-leading scorer Erling Haaland was not part of the squad ahead of an intense run of fixtures, including a Champions League last-16 clash at Real Madrid on Wednesday.
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe felt his players “maybe ran out of gas, certainly in the second half but also toward the end of the first half.
“They really stretched us,” he told TNT. “You have to say they were a very good side.”
