Virat Kohli put on a show with the bat in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) eight-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Thursday (May 19).
In what was a must-win encounter for RCB, Kohli stood tall for his side and smashed a classy 73 off 54 balls while chasing GT’s target of 169.
Coming into the match, the former RCB 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.
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Kohli’s knock was studded with 8 fours, 2 sixes and it drew praises from batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as well.
In particular, Tendulkar was impressed with Kohli’s footwork and the way he attacked the ace leg-spinner Rashid Khan. Notably, both his sixes came against Rashid.
"I liked the positive attitude shown by the Bangalore batters. Virat took the initiative and he started attacking. In this match, I really liked one thing in particular, and that was the precision in his footwork and like they say, showing the face of the bat. It was visible and I really liked that. Both batters are fit and their running between the wicket is brilliant," Tendulkar said on his YouTube video.
"The shot Virat played against Rashid, to reach his fifty, was just brilliant. I thought he noticed that it's a leg spinner, and the length of the ball was close to his feet, and at the last moment, he used his wrist to give it elevation. I loved it because it wasn't a wild slog at all. He read the bowler well and being aware of the length, he played that shot at the last moment. Overall, Virat batted brilliantly I felt and Faf played a superb supporting role. That was smart cricket," he added.
Apart from Kohli, Glenn Maxwell (40* off 18 balls) and Faf du Plessis (44 off 38 balls) made vital contributions with the bat as RCB got over the line with 8 deliveries to spare.
In the hunt for elusive IPL title, RCB are alive in the playoffs race but their hopes are pinned on Delhi Capitals, who have a better net run rate, and could move level on points and regain the fourth spot if they defeat Mumbai Indians on Saturday (May 21).
