Virat Kohli had a miraculous IPL 2016 as he smashed four centuries and aggregated 973 runs in the entire edition, one less than the great Sir Don Bradman in one series but Royal Challengers Bangalore still lost.
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In cricket, the record for the most runs in a single series is 974. It is no surprise that the record was set by Sir Don Bradman of Australia in the 1930s. Eight decades later, Virat Kohli almost bettered the Don when it came to breaking this record. He smashed 973 runs in one edition of the tournament. Now, this is where the comparison ends. Bradman managed 974 runs in just five matches or seven innings. Kohli took 16 matches to hit 973 runs. The formats were different. Bradman achieved it in Tests. Kohli achieved it in Twenty20s.
The comparisons are blasphemous. How can one compare Kohli to Bradman? But, the exploits of Virat Kohli in that IPL 2016 edition would have given a faint glimpse of how Bradman would have dominated bowlers in that era. The consistency was perhaps a modern-day avatar of how Bradman had redefined the very ethos of batting.
But, perhaps, Kohli is jinxed in the modern era. His genius with the willow could not help his team. Royal Challengers Bangalore, forever the perennial bridesmaid and underachievers of the IPL, could not ride upon Kohli’s brilliance in IPL 2016. In home conditions, with partisan crowds and conditions to their liking, Royal Challengers Bangalore threw the keys of victory away to their opponents Sunrisers Hyderabad. On May 29, 2016, the zenith of Kohli’s brilliance could not hide a third IPL finals loss for Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Royal Challengers Bangalore did not have a great start to IPL 2016. Kohli scored 71 in their opening game against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bangalore won the match by 45 runs. After that, they won only one out of their next six games. Kohli was in a different zone at that time with his batting. In the game against Delhi Daredevils, he smashed 79.
After a low score against Mumbai Indians, Kohli came into his own against Rising Pune Supergiant with 80 as they got the better of MS Dhoni’s team. Kohli scored his first century against Gujarat Lions but Royal Challengers Bangalore ended up losing that game. Sunrisers Hyderabad extracted revenge with a 15-run win in their return fixture with Kohli falling for 14.
A fifty against Kolkata Knight Riders could not stop another Royal Challengers Bangalore defeat. It soon became a desperate situation. In their next game against Kings XI Punjab, Royal Challengers Bangalore got the boost that they wanted as they won by one run. But, they came crashing down to earth with another loss to Mumbai Indians. Kohli fell cheaply for 7 in what would become his only single digit score in that tournament. But, the wheels of fortune were changing.
In the game against Gujarat Lions, Kohli and AB de Villiers put on an exhibition as they smashed centuries. The 229-run stand was a record at that time as RCB thrashed Gujarat Lions by 144 runs. Kohli and de Villiers teamed up again to decimate Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets. In the game against Kings XI Punjab, Kohli hit his fourth century in that season as Royal Challengers Bangalore stormed into the knockouts.
In the first qualifier, Kohli fell for 0 but an AB de Villiers masterclass saw Royal Challengers Bangalore bounce back from 29/5 to win the match in the last over. Kohli’s side had reached the final where they took on Sunrisers Hyderabad.
While Kohli was accumulating runs with the bat, David Warner was matching him for consistency. In the final, Sunrisers Hyderabad chose to bat and Warner smashed his ninth fifty in IPL 2016. His 848 runs was the best for any overseas batsman in IPL history. Yuvraj Singh was in fine form along with Shikhar Dhawan. But, it was Ben Cutting’s cameo at the end that stole the show. His three sixes in the final over bowled by Shane Watson helped Sunrisers Hyderabad cross 200.
In response, Kohli and Chris Gayle started off in grand style. Sunrisers Hyderabad felt the heat as their bowlers were hit all over the park. The 100-run stand came in just the 10th over. But, they managed to bounce back. Cutting got the big wicket of Gayle for 74. However, RCB were dealt a major blow when Barinder Sran got the wicket of Kohli for 54. Bowling from round the wicket, Sran got the ball to cut back in off the seam. Kohli was cramped for the cut shot and dragged the ball back onto the stumps.
His dismissal for 54 meant he could not smash 1000 runs in the IPL and neither could he overhaul Bradman’s tally. When AB de Villiers and KL Rahul fell cheaply, the game was up. Sunrisers Hyderabad held their nerve and won the match by eight runs to win their maiden IPL title.
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