Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter Virat Kohli on Thursday (19th May) said that he batted for 90 minutes in the nets ahead of the match against Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
In what was a must-win encounter for RCB, Kohli stood tall for his side and smashed a masterful 73 to guide his team to an eight-wicket victory. Coming into the match, the former skipper was under serious pressure as he had miserable outings in the tournament.
But when it mattered the most, he made his presence felt and helped his side to stay in the playoffs race. Chasing the target of 169 runs, the right-hander came out with positive intent and kept smashing boundaries at regular intervals to give his side a sensational start.
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Kohli stitched 115 runs partnership with skipper Faf du Plessis (44) and helped his side win the match with 8 balls to spare. He smashed 8 fours and 2 sixes in his innings and his heroics also earned him his first Player of the Match award in IPL 15.
Speaking at the post-match presentation, Virat Kohli said that he would love to ‘keep going’ and contribute for his side. He admitted that he was disappointed with his performance in the team’s cause but his knock against GT gave him the feeling that he could create an impact for his team.
He revealed that ahead of this game, he batted 90 minutes in the nets and came into the match pretty relaxed and free.
"I can keep going, there are no issues at all. It was an important game. I was disappointed that I have not done enough for the team. Today (Thursday) was a game where I was able to create an impact for the team.. this puts us in a good position.
“You need to keep the perspective right. You can forget the process in order to live up to the expectations. I have worked really hard. I batted 90 minutes in the nets yesterday (Wednesday). I came in very free and relaxed," Virat Kohli said.
Kohli said that the first shot he played against Mohammad Shami got him going and he felt that he could ‘kick on’. He also talked about the support he got from fans and teammates during his rough patch.
"With the very first shot of Shami, I felt I could hit lengths balls over the fielder's head. I knew that tonight was the night when I could kick on. It has been wonderful that I have got so much support in this edition. I am forever grateful to all the love that I have never seen before," he said.
RCB would now be hoping for Mumbai Indians (MI) to defeat Delhi Capitals (DC) on Saturday (21st May). MI’s win would keep RCB in the hunt for the playoffs and even can earn a spot in the top-four positions of the points table.
(India Today inputs)
