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Virat Kohli was at his best in the game against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on May 18 (Thursday) scoring his sixth hundred in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He also became the player with most centuries in the cash-rich league alongside Chris Gayle. It was a day of records for the former RCB and India skipper but his performance also reaffirmed his special connection with the date – MAY 18. Yes, Virat Kohli is a special player, no doubt. But when it comes to the said date, the man is bound to play a special knock.
It was not the first time that Virat Kohli won the Player of the Match on May 18. He won the award for the third time on the day having won it before in 2013 and 2016. Let us know what happened on May 18, 2013 and May 18, 2016.
1. May 18, 2013
It was the 70th match of the season and rain played spoilsport in the game between RCB and CSK. But the rain gods relented just in time for the 8-over per side game to take place. Virat Kohli took centrestage after MS Dhoni opted to bowl first and what followed was carnage. Kohli got going from the word go and ended up smashing an unbeaten 56 with six fours and four sixes at a strike rate 193.10. On the back of his stellar knock, RCB posted 106 runs on the board in 8 overs. CSK in response could only reach 82 runs to lose the game by 24 runs. Kohli won the Player of the Match award for his captain’s knock with the bat.
2. May 18, 2016
Rain once again made its presence felt in Bengaluru and this time it was a 15-over per side game against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings). Virat Kohli opened the innings with Chris Gayle and no bowler was spared. Kohli’s hitting was so clean that he middled every ball with the most productive shot being the famous cover drive. He kept smashing the bowlers and ended up scoring a brilliant century. The man scored 113 runs off just 50 deliveries at a strike rate of 226 with 12 fours and 8 sixes to his name as RCB posted a mammoth total of 211 runs for the loss of three wickets. No wonder they ended up winning the match by a huge margin of 82 runs.
Come 2023, Virat Kohli yet again made May 18 special for him and his fans. He will be hoping to carry on the rich vein of form into the last game and subsequently into the playoffs as well if RCB qualify.
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