Virat Kohli was in a reflective mood as he put aside his critical hat to accept that he was consciously ‘trying to keep up with the strike rate’ as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) beat Punjab Kings (PBKS) by 60 runs in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday.
This was a fourth successive win for RCB and it took them to 10 points, while PBKS (8) were knocked out of the playoff race as they can reach a maximum of 12 points from the remaining two games.
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Kohli, who was dropped on 0 and 10, timed the ball nicely, used his feet and wrists to bring up his sixth IPL fifty this season. He reached his mark in 32 balls, before slamming another 40 in his next 15 balls. He cracked seven fours and six maximums.
Virat was adjudged the ‘player of the match’ and at the post-match presentation said that for him it is quality over quantity as explained his ‘different’ apporach against spinners.
“For me it’s still quality over quantity. For me it works really well. Also the understanding of the game allows you to practice less, just try to replicate what I have done in the past. Still aiming to improve aspects of the game that you want to get batter at. It’s an evolving process,” Kohli said.
“I brought out the slogsweep against the spinners. I didn’t practice it, I know I have hit it the past. Always looking to expose that side of the field against spin. I know I need to take risks, it needs a bit of conviction. I have been managing to stay ahead of that thought. I am trying to keep up with the strike rate for me and the team,” he added.
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Kohli even accepted that RCB were not good enough in the first half of the tournament. He added that the bowling performance against Kolkata was the turning point.
The star batter also added that RCB’s work is not done yet as they still need a couple of results need to go their way.
“The only way to go through a tournament is to be honest with ourselves. We had those losses on the trot, we just had a honest conversation. We needed to pull up our socks. That game against KKR went down to the wire. We wanted to play for our self respect. We just can’t go out there and play in such a way and disappoint our fans. The confidence is back and we are on a roll,” Kohli explained.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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