IPL 2020: AB de Villiers scores match-winning 57*, joins Virat Kohli in special RCB record

With the match-winning knock of 55 from 22 balls in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 on Saturday, AB de Villiers joined Virat Kohli in a special record for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

De Villiers became only the second batsman to complete 4,000 runs in the IPL for RCB after Kohli, who has scored 5,759 runs, having represented only one franchise in all the eight IPL editions. Out of De Villiers' 4,680 IPL runs, the South African has scored 4,009 runs for RCB, while the rest came during his stint with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) between 2008 and 2010.

In the list of most runs scored for RCB, the top five features Kohli as the leader ahead of de Villiers, Chris Gayle (3,163 runs in 84 innings), Jacques Kallis (1,132 runs in 42 innings), and Rahul Dravid (898 runs in 37 innings).

On Saturday, RR won the toss and chose to bat first at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Opening batsmen Ben Stokes and Robin Uthappa put up 50 runs for the first wicket before Chris Morris dismissed Stokes in the sixth over, leaving RR at 50 for 1. While RR lost their No. 3 batsman Sanju Samson early in the innings, Steven Smith's half-century brought their innings back on track. The Australian smashed 36-ball 57, including a six and six fours as RR posted 177 for 6 in 20 overs.

During the chase, RCB lost Aaron Finch in the fourth over, bringing Kohli at the crease at 23 for 1. The RCB skipper put up 79 runs for the second wicket with young Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 35 from 37 balls before getting run off Rahul Tewati's bowling. On the very next ball, which was bowled by Kartik Tyagi, RCB lost Kohli, who walked back with an individual score of 43 off 32.

RCB needed 35 off the final two overs. When RR's Jaydev Unadkat came to bowl the 19th over, de Villiers was on the strike. 'Mr.360' smashed the first three deliveries for three sixes and at the end of the penultimate over, RCB needed 10 more. With five needed off the last three balls of the final over, de Villiers struck a six to clinch a very important win for RCB, who remained in the top four of the IPL 2020 points table.

In the same match, RR captain Smith also achieved a milestone. He became the fourth overseas player to score 1,000 or more runs as captain in the IPL. Smith now has 1,014 runs from 36 innings as captain. The other three on the list are David Warner, Adam Gilchrist, and Kumar Sangakkara.

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) skipper Warner leads the overseas list with 2,383 runs at an average of 49. 65 ahead of Gilchrist (1,900 runs), who had led Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), and Sangakkara, who scored 1,035 runs as captain in the Indian T20 league, where he had led KXIP and SRH.

Overall, in the list of most runs among IPL captains, the top four features all Indians. With 4,328 runs, Kohli is the record holder, who is also the leading run-scorer in the tournament, having scored 5,759 runs. Next in the list are Chennai Super Kings (CSK) superstar MS Dhoni (4,275 runs), who has also led RPS in the tournament, Gautam Gambhir (3,518 runs), and Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Rohit Sharma (2,944 runs).