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Kohli’s Extraordinary 973 Runs and IPL 2016 Heartbreak

Kohli

In cricket, people often say batters can win matches, but the bowlers win championships. The 2016 IPL showed this clearly, especially for the Royal Challengers Bangalore. Virat Kohli scored a huge 973 runs and helped his team reach the finals. The setting was perfect: a packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, their home ground, a strong batting lineup, and a city full of hope. But cricket is unpredictable. Despite RCB’s great run and all the signs pointing to their victory, they fell short, losing by just 8 runs. Let’s look at the 2016 season to see how it happened.

Read the full article on TCNI: https://tcni.in/how-kohlis-magical-973-runs-became-a-story-of-ipl-2016-heartbreak/

IPL 2016 Final: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Two contrasting forces came together in the IPL 2016 final – Royal Challengers Bangalore, known for their explosive batting, and Sunrisers Hyderabad, recognized for their deadly bowling attack. Held on May 29th, 2016, at the electrifying M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, the match had all the ingredients for excitement as the tournament’s top two run-scorers, Virat Kohli of RCB and David Warner of SRH, prepared for battle.

Warner won the coin toss and made a surprising decision to bat first, going against the typical strategy of chasing at Bangalore’s high-scoring ground. With this move, SRH’s openers, Warner and Shikhar Dhawan, took to the field, eager to get things started with a bang.

By the fifth over, they had launched a calculated attack on Shane Watson, hitting 19 runs, including two massive sixes and a boundary. This took their score to 46/0. However, in the 7th over, RCB found their breakthrough when Yuzvendra Chahal dismissed Dhawan, who had made a steady 28 off 25 balls. At that point, SRH stood at 65/1.

Unshaken, Warner continued his fiery form as Moises Henriques walked to the middle. The SRH captain reached his half-century in just 24 balls, which kept his team on track for a huge total. Chris Jordan responded for RCB by removing Henriques for only 4 runs. By the halfway point, SRH was at 97/2, with all hopes riding on Warner to guide them to a strong total. At the crease, Yuvraj Singh joined the blazing Warner, but SRH’s momentum took a blow in the 14th over. Warner, on 69 from 38 balls, edged one to Abdulla at short third man. This dismissal left SRH at 125/3, and things quickly went downhill. Deepak Hooda fell for just 3 runs in two overs, and Yuvraj’s quickfire 38 off 23 balls came to an end, which left the team at 156/5 by the 17th over.

Only three overs remained, and SRH needed a powerful finish to exceed 200 and challenge RCB’s strong batting lineup. The situation looked bleak when Naman Ojha got run out for 7 in the 18th over, which left SRH at 168/6. At that moment, Ben Cutting stepped in.

The all-rounder launched a spectacular attack in the final over, hitting Shane Watson for three massive sixes, including an incredible 117-meter strike, and a boundary. This lifted SRH to a formidable 208/7.

With 209 to chase, Royal Challengers Bangalore understood the importance of a fast start, and their dynamic openers, Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle, responded brilliantly. They raced to 55/0 in just five overs with sharp intent and accuracy. Gayle, in his element, unleashed the well-known “Gayle Storm”. He reached his half-century in only 25 balls and crushed SRH’s bowlers with towering sixes and blistering boundaries. By the halfway mark, RCB was in control at 112/0, requiring just 96 more runs from 60 balls, with all 10 wickets intact. David Warner wasn’t finished yet. With Ben Cutting as his key player, Warner shifted the momentum. Cutting had an immediate impact, dismissing Gayle for a powerful 76 off 38 balls.

In the 13th over, Kohli reached a valiant half-century off 32 balls but was dismissed shortly after, bowled by Sran. RCB found themselves at 141/2, needing 67 runs from the last seven overs. Hyderabad capitalized on the shift in momentum, and in the 14th over, the dangerous AB de Villiers, known for his ability to win games on his own, mistimed a shot and was dismissed for just 5 runs. RCB was now at 149/3, with their chase falling apart as Hyderabad fought their way back into the game. KL Rahul and Shane Watson took charge of the chase. Ben Cutting then entered the 16th over and dismissed KL Rahul for 11 runs off 9 balls. In the following over, Mustafizur Rahman removed Shane Watson for 11 runs off 9 balls. By the end of the 17th over, RCB stood at 172/5, needing 36 more runs with just 3 overs left. In the 18th over, Bhuvneshwar Kumar stepped up and conceded only 7 runs, making it harder for RCB to chase the target.

Needing 29 runs from the final two overs, Royal Challengers Bangalore found themselves facing a daunting task to keep their hopes alive. The spotlight turned to the 19th over, bowled by the dependable Mustafizur Rahman. Disaster struck immediately when Stuart Binny attempted to steal a quick double and got run out for just 9 runs off 7 balls. RCB found themselves at 180/5. With the pressure mounting and their IPL title aspirations slipping away, Sachin Baby took matters into his own hands. On the last ball of the over, Sachin Baby hit a crucial six, keeping RCB’s hopes alive and reducing the target to 17 runs from the final over, which Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled. When the final over began, Chris Jordan took a single on the first ball, bringing Sachin Baby back to strike, with the team’s hopes resting on him. On the second delivery, a low full toss from Bhuvneshwar was mistimed by Baby, resulting in just two runs. This missed chance added to the rising tension.

A precise yorker on the third ball ended Chris Jordan’s stay. Naman Ojha’s outstanding direct hit ran him out, which left RCB at 194/7. Now, with just three balls remaining and an improbable 14 runs required, RCB’s chances seemed slim, especially with Sachin Baby stranded at the non-striker’s end. The fourth delivery only made matters worse, as it resulted in a leg bye.

On the fifth ball, Sachin Baby attempted to steer a shot towards the boundary but could only manage a single. This left RCB with the impossible task of needing 13 runs from the final ball. As the ball was played toward the fielder, a hushed silence fell over the RCB dugout, with Baby visibly in tears. Meanwhile, SRH’s captain, David Warner, erupted in celebration. Although Iqbal Abdulla managed to lap-scoop the final delivery for a boundary, it was too little, too late. Sunrisers Hyderabad triumphed by 8 runs, and jubilant celebrations broke out in their camp. Ben Cutting earned the Man of the Match award for his brilliant 39* (15) and 2/35 in 4 overs, while Virat Kohli was named the Man of the Tournament for amassing 973 runs in 16 matches.

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