IPL 2018: Quinton de Kock leads Royal Challengers Bangalore charge vs Chennai Super Kings

Quinton de Kock notched up his first half-century of the Indian Premier League this season as he blasted a 35-ball 50 against Chennai Super Kings here at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. ()

Put in to bat first after winning the toss, Royal Challengers Bangalore were off to a flying start before skipper Virat Kohli had to head back after a brisk 15-ball 18. (SCORECARD)

Unlike Kohli, who picked up a boundary in each of the opening three overs, de Kock’s approach to the game was more attacking in nature and he took the aerial route right from the start.

Deepak Chahar, who has had a highly impressive campaign this season, was carted off over the long-on boundary before he repeated the act against Harbhajan Singh in the very next over.

Despite Kohli back in the pavilion, de Kock yet again held fort from the other end and waited for the loose balls as de Villiers began his carnage at the other end.

His only boundary came in the eighth over when he cut one past point for a glorious boundary. He rotated the strike well with both Kohli and de Villiers as well, thus not letting the CSK bowlers settle in.

He picked up his fifty in fine style as he pulled one over the mid-wicket boundary for a gigantic six. At the other end, de Villiers was toying with the CSK bowling attack.

Both De Kock and De Villiers were removed shortly thereafter, putting the breaks to what looked like an assault that could get them to a score beyond 200.