Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have decided to auction items, including bats and gloves among others, from their record-breaking 229-run partnership against Gujarat Lions during the RCB vs GL match in the 2016 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). De Villiers and Kohli, both of whom play for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the IPL, smashed centuries and put on a record partnership for the second wicket to help RCB post the second-highest total in IPL’s history. “Virat and I would like to help people in need, people struggling to put food on the table. So we are donating some of the key items from that special day in 2016 - Virat’s bat and gloves, my shirt and bat,” De Villiers said in an Instagram post. Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers Pick MS Dhoni As Captain of Combined India-South Africa ODI XI.
De Villiers scored 129 off 52 deliveries, the century came from just 43, while Kohli made 109 from 55 and they together decimated the Gujarat Lions over the fence. “Cricket has given me many incredible memories - and, among the most precious, stands the partnership with @virat.kohli , playing for RCB and against Gujarat Lions in 2016,” De Villiers’ statement started. AB de Villiers Recalls His First Interaction With Virat Kohli in 2011, Says ‘I Didn’t Trust the Guy Back Then’.
Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers to Auctions Bats
“Everything clicked on what was a truly unforgettable night at the IPL. The capacity crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium were going crazy, and we both scored centuries in a partnership of 229 runs from 96 balls. More importantly, RCB won the match by 144 runs.” The 144-run victory, after Gujarat Lions folded for only 104 chasing 249, was then the biggest victory by runs in the IPL before Mumbai Indians annihilated the Delhi Daredevils by 146 runs a year later.
Glad to Be Doing This: Virat Kohli
The former South African captain mentioned that all the money raised will go to charities to help “people most severely affected by the crisis, people in need, people struggling to put food on the table.” The money raised will be split into two with half of the amount will go to charities in India while the other half to charities in South Africa.
Kohli and De Villiers smashed multiple records on that day, including that of the highest partnership (229 off 96 deliveries). It was also only the second instance of two batsman scoring centuries in the same innings in Twenty20 cricket’s history. De Villiers hit 12 sixes – joint fourth-highest in a single innings in the IPL. His century off 43 balls in joint fifth fastest hundred in the league.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2020 02:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).