Indian Premier League: Virat Kohli warms up for World Cup with century for Royal Challengers Bangalore

India captain Virat Kohli stepped up his preparations for the World Cup in England with a brilliant century for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Look out world, here comes Virat Kohli.

India captain Virat Kohli stepped up his World Cup preparations with a brilliant century for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Kohli smashed a 58-ball 100, his fifth in the IPL, to help Bangalore reach 4-213 from their 20 overs against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

Bangalore skipper Kohli showed patience at the start as he brought up his fifty in 40 deliveries but it took him only another 17 balls to reach his century. His previous four IPL hundreds all came in 2016.

The 30-year-old smashed nine fours and four sixes before he fell to the final ball of the Bangalore innings.

Look out world, here comes Virat Kohli.

England all-rounder Moeen Ali also played a blistering knock of 66 off 28 balls, hitting six sixes and five fours to seize momentum for his team.

Kolkata came close thanks to a 118-run partnership between Nitish Rana (85 not out) and Windies power-hitter Andre Russell (65) but finished on 5-203, 10 runs short of Bangalore’s total.

Aussie star Chris Lynn was dismissed by Dale Steyn, who had returned to Bangalore after nine years, reducing Kolkata to 3-33 in the fifth over.

Meanwhile, Aussie stars Cameron Bancroft and James Pattinson turned in stellar performances to lift their county cricket sides in England.

Some say @_jamespattinson is still running somewhere off screen after getting Glenn Maxwell out 😂

📹 @TrentBridge #Outlawspic.twitter.com/QFtwAH9jFe

— #7Cricket (@7Cricket) April 19, 2019

Bancroft’s second unbeaten hundred in as many matches led Durham to a six-wicket win over Leicestershire in the Royal London One-Day Cup.

The Foxes rebuilt from 7-112 to reach 9-233, with Tom Taylor (59) and Dieter Klein (46) putting on 81, but skipper Bancroft’s 118 not out ensured a comfortable home win in the North Group.

Lancashire came up just short of a remarkable chase despite record team and individual scores for the county as Nottinghamshire held on for an 11-run win.

Joe Clarke’s 139 and quick runs from Tom Moores (74 off 39 balls) and Luke Fletcher (46no off 17) took Notts to 7-417.

Stephen Croft hit 110 and Dane Vilas an extraordinary 166 off 100 balls to give the Red Rose hope, but Pattinson took 5-61 including the wicket of Vilas to leave them 9-406.

Originally published as Indian Premier League: Virat Kohli warms up for World Cup with century for Royal Challengers Bangalore