MUMBAI: Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 73 and Rohit Sharma struck form with 76 not out in match-winning knocks for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians in an IPL super Sunday.
The in-form Kohli hit his fourth half-century of this edition of the popular T20 tournament to anchor Bengaluru’s chase of 158 in a seven-wicket win over Punjab Kings at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.
Another Indian veteran Rohit struck form with his first fifty this season in the second match of the day to lead Mumbai’s nine-wicket hammering of Chennai Super Kings in a battle of heavyweights.
Rohit, 37, put on 114 runs with Suryakumar Yadav, who hit 68 off 30 balls, as they steered the five-time champions’ chase of 177, getting there with 26 balls to spare.
Rohit, 37, came in as impact substitute in the chase and put on 63 with Ryan Rickleton, who fell for 24 off Ravindra Jadeja, to lay the foundations of Mumbai’s third straight win.
“After being here for such a long period of time, it’s easy to start doubting yourself and start doing different things,” Rohit said after being named player of the match.
“For me, it was important to do simple things and have a clear mindset. It was important for me to hold my shape and extend my arms, and when the ball was in my area, I had to do what I have been doing.”
Rohit struggled for form until this knock with just 82 runs in his previous six innings but found his groove with trademark flicks and pulls.
He reached his fifty in 33 balls but Suryakumar was in a hurry and his knock included some audacious shots behind the wicket raised his half-ton in 26 deliveries.
Rohit and Suryakumar smashed 11 sixes between them.
Bowlers set up victory after Jasprit Bumrah’s 2-25 and spinner Mitchell Santner’s 1-14 kept Chennai down to 176-5.
Shivam Dube, who made 50, and Jadeja, who hit an unbeaten 53, put on 79 runs for the fourth wicket and 17-year-old Ayush Mhatre smashed 32 off 15 balls after being the youngest player to debut for Chennai.
Five-time winners Chennai, led by M.S. Dhoni after regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad pulled out injured mid-season, crashed to their sixth defeat in eight matches to stay bottom of the 10-team table.
In the first match of the day, Bengaluru were propelled by a 103-run second-wicket stand between Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who hit 61, to reach their target with seven balls to spare.
Bengaluru avenged their loss to Punjab at home on Friday and the two teams, both seeking their first IPL title, are level on points.
“Very important game for us,” said player of the match Kohli. “When you go from eight (points) to 10, it makes a massive difference.”
Kohli on his anchor role said: “One partnership is good enough in T20 cricket during run chase. I can accelerate, but I want to understand the strengths of other players.
“Holding one end up at the moment, that’s working for us.”
The in-form Kohli, 36, struck his fourth half-ton of the season and surpassed Australia’s David Warner for the most 50-plus scores in the popular T20 tournament.
Kohli has now made it past the 50-mark 67 times, including eight centuries.
Left-handed Padikkal struck his first fifty of the season, after Bengaluru lost opener Phil Salt in the first over to Arshdeep Singh.
Padikkal fell to Harpreet Brar, leaving Kohli to play the anchor in a 54-ball knock laced with seven fours and a six.
Bengaluru spinners Krunal Pandya and Suyash Sharma took two wickets each to set up victory as they helped restrict Punjab to 157-6.
Kohli, Rohit star as Bengaluru and Mumbai win in IPL
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Kohli, Rohit star as Bengaluru and Mumbai win in IPL
- Bengaluru avenged their loss to Punjab at home on Friday and the two teams, both seeking their first IPL title, are level on points
Tiger Woods opens door to Masters return, US Ryder Cup captaincy
- Woods said Tuesday afternoon at the site of the Genesis Invitational at Rivera Country Club he wouldn’t rule out returning for the 2026 Masters in April
LOS ANGELES: Undaunted following a milestone birthday and a trio of recent major physical setbacks that have limited his tournament schedule to a trickle, Tiger Woods believes he has plenty of game left.
Woods said Tuesday afternoon at the site of the Genesis Invitational at Rivera Country Club he wouldn’t rule out returning for the 2026 Masters in April.
“I’m trying. Put it that way,” the 50-year-old Woods said. “The disc replacement has been one thing. It’s been a challenge to — I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging.
“And now, I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on (in PGA Tour events) because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly (an) opportunity.”
In reality, Woods might be too busy to play tournament golf these days.
As the chair of the new Future Competitions Committee, Woods is heavily involved in what will be a new-look PGA Tour as early as the 2027 season, with a full roll out aimed for 2028. He revealed on Tuesday he was asked about his interest in being the United States captain for the 2027 Ryder Cup.
“Yeah, they have asked me for my input on it, and I haven’t made my decision yet,” Woods said of the Ryder Cup showdown against Europe that is set to be played in Ireland. “I’m trying to figure out what we’re trying to do with our tour.
“That’s been driving me hours upon hours every day and trying to figure out if I can actually do our team, our Team USA and our players and everyone that’s going to be involved in the Ryder Cup, if I can do it justice with my time.”
This week, Woods’ main focus will be to welcome the field to the Genesis Invitational where he is the tournament host. While Riviera was the site of his first ever PGA Tour event, on a sponsor’s exemption at the Los Angeles Open in 1992 when he was 16, the Southern California native will not be playing this week.
But still could be on the course soon.
As for Augusta National, the 15-time major winner was asked if participating in the Masters was ruled out, Woods said “No.”
Future changes to the PGA Tour are not expected to move the Masters off its traditional spring window, but Woods said a myriad of other options are being considered. The plan essentially will create a shorter tournament calendar while still improving the product.
“Yeah, we’re going to get more top players playing and we’re going to make it more competitive,” Woods said. .”.. Having Brooks (Koepka) come back, having Patrick Reed play as well as he is and committed to coming back to the tour, having Scottie (Scheffler) as dominant as he has been, and to have Rory (McIlroy) complete the career grand slam, you have a lot of top players, but also you have a lot of youth that has come up.”
The current West Coast swing, which is the traditional start to the PGA Tour season, might cease to exist or be completely altered. Instead of starting the PGA Tour season in January, reports have indicated future seasons could start after the Super Bowl.
“Well, I think it’s trying to serve literally everyone, from the player side of it, from our media partners, from all of our title sponsors, from the local communities or even changing venues and going to bigger markets,” Woods said. “It’s what do we need to do from a competitive model to make our tour the best product it can possibly be each and every year and still have room for development. How do we do all of that at the same time?“
This week’s tournament in the Los Angeles area could remain in its February window or move toward the end of the season in August and be a playoff venue.
“It’s been a lot of moving parts, but it’s been in sync,” Woods said. “We’ve had a lot of information thrown our way, which has been great. Everyone is working collaboratively together.”
Woods could even be a part of that future schedule as a player. He still has physical limitations from the shattered right leg that happened during a single-car crash in 2021, followed by an Achilles injury and disc replacement surgery in his back this past October.
Given his physical ailments, playing on the Champions Tour, which allows players to use a golf cart, is under consideration. Woods turned 50 just over a month ago, making him eligible for the Champions Tour.
“I’ve had a fused back and now a disc replacement, so it’s challenging,” Woods said. “And I entered a new decade, so that number is starting to sink in and has us thinking about the opportunity to be able to play in a cart. That’s something that, as I said, I won’t do out here on this tour because I don’t believe in it. But on the Champions Tour, that’s certainly that opportunity.”
He had no timetable on when a Champions Tour debut might take place. Woods is more content with turning back the clock this week.
“For me, that’s part of the neat thing about being here at (Riviera), being able to go back in time as a kid,” Woods said.
