Cricket news round-up – 20 April 2019: Kohli century powers RCB to second IPL 2019 win; Con de Lange passes away

Virat Kohli hammered his first century of IPL 2019 as Royal Challengers Bangalore saw off Kolkata Knight Riders in Eden Gardens on Friday, April 19, despite Andre Russell and Nitish Rana scoring belligerent half-centuries.

Elsewhere, England opener Alex Hales took an indefinite break from cricket, Ajinkya Rahane sought an NOC from BCCI for a county stint with Hampshire, and Con de Lange lost his battle with brain tumour.

Kohli trumps Russell as RCB win

Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, hammered 58-ball 100 to help his side prevail over Kolkata Knight Riders, despite a typical Andre Russell onslaught.

Russell’s 25-ball 65, along with Nitish Rana’s 46-ball 85, very nearly helped Kolkata hunt down the 214-run target set by Bangalore, for whom Moeen Ali also scored a significant 28-ball 66.

Russell and Rana helped Kolkata recover from being 79/4 in the 12th^h over as they came within 11 runs of the target thanks to the duo’s 118-run stand.

However, for once, the target was just too much for even Russell. The win put Bangalore level on points with Rajasthan Royals, but they remain at the bottom of the table with an inferior net run-rate. Kolkata remain in sixth spot after their fourth consecutive loss.

Hales takes indefinite break from cricket

England opener Alex Hales has taken an indefinite break from the sport citing “personal reasons”.

Hales did not feature in his county’s 50-over match against Lancashire on Friday, and on their website, Lancashire revealed the development, saying: “Alex Hales has made himself unavailable for selection for personal reasons and no timetable has been set for his return to action.”

Hales is in England’s provisional 15-man World Cup squad. How this affects the team selection remains to be seen.

Con de Lange, Scotland all-rounder, passes away

Con de Lange, the Scotland all-rounder, who has been battling brain tumour, passed away on Friday. He was 38.

De Lange played 13 ODIs and eight T20Is for Scotland, and played a pivotal role with a five-for in Scotland’s first win against a full member side when they beat Zimbabwe in June 2017.

He is survived by his wife, Claire, and children, Daisy and Rory.

Rahane set for county stint

Ajinkya Rahane is all set to feature for Hampshire in the County Championship this season, according to a report in ESPNCricinfo.

Rahane is reported to have sought permission from BCCI for the county stint, and the body is understood to be open to the idea of Rahane playing in England.

Hampshire are looking for a replacement for Dimuth Karunaratne, the Sri Lanka opener, who was a surprise call-up to their 15-man World Cup squad.