Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten half-century to break Chris Gayle’s record for the most runs in a single Indian Premier League season.
Kohli, captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has scored 752 runs in 12 matches so far this year including three centuries and five 50s.
Kohli’s 75-run blitz on Monday kept the Challengers’ play-off hopes alive after they crushed the Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets.
The Indian batsman overtakes the powerful Gayle, who scored 733 runs in 15 matches in 2012, while Australia’s Mike Hussey tallied the same figure in 17 games in 2013.
Kohli, who batted with an injured finger, stitched together a 115-run unbeaten stand with AB de Villiers (59).
Their partnership comes just two days after they recorded the highest partnership (229) in Twenty20 cricket history during the Challengers' match against the Gujarat Lions.
Teammate Gayle, who also found form at Eden Gardens with a 31-ball 49, paid credit to the in-form duo.
“Those two guys are playing like Batman and Superman. They are in the form of their life,” he said.
MAXWELL RETURNS HOME
Meanwhile, Australia all-rounder Glenn Maxwell has suffered a side strain and will head home to recover before the West Indies tour, Cricket Australia said on Tuesday.
Maxwell had “increasing soreness in his left abdomen area” after playing for Kings XI Punjab, CA said in a statement.
“From the information we have so far, the injury doesn’t appear to be something that will prevent Glenn from participating in this tour, but we are keen to give him the necessary time to recover before departing to the West Indies at the end of this month,” a CA physiotherapist said.
The hard-hitting 27-year-old becomes the fifth Australia player to leave the Indian Twenty20 tournament early following the departures of captain Steve Smith, John Hastings and Mitchell and Shaun Marsh.
Australia play West Indies and South Africa in a triangular one-day international tournament starting on June 5.
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