In a thrilling match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Sunday, April 21, at Eden Gardens, fans were treated to a nail-biting finish as KKR emerged victorious by just one run.
Batting first, KKR posted a challenging total of 222/6, with opener Phil Salt and captain Shreyas Iyer contributing crucial knocks of 48 and 50 respectively. In response, RCB’s Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar both scored half-centuries, but fell short of the target by a narrow margin.
However, the highlight of the match came in the second innings when RCB’s star player Virat Kohli was controversially given out caught and bowled off a full toss. Kohli, known for his fiery temperament, was visibly upset and argued with the umpires, claiming the delivery was a no-ball.
Kohli’s reaction has raised questions about RCB’s fairplay record in the IPL. Despite being one of the most successful teams in the league, RCB has never won the fairplay award, which is meant to recognize teams that uphold the spirit of the game both on and off the field.
The fairplay award has been won by various teams over the years, with Chennai Super Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad, Mumbai Indians, and others having claimed the honor. However, RCB’s failure to win the award has been a glaring omission in their otherwise illustrious IPL history.
As the league progresses, all eyes will be on RCB and Kohli to see if they can maintain their composure and finally clinch the elusive fairplay award.