Virat Kohli put on a show with the bat in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday (April 2).
Chasing 172 to win, Kohli and his opening partner Faf du Plessis took the MI attack to the cleaners, adding 148 runs for the first wicket to put the hosts on the brink of victory.
While the RCB skipper was dismissed for 74 off 43 balls in the 15th over, Virat held the one end firmly and stayed unbeaten on 82 off 49 balls to take his team over the finishing line with 22 balls to spare.
After the game, former RCB opener Chris Gayle lauded Virat Kohli’s authoritative knock, saying the latter’s renewed hunger would translate into big runs in the IPL 2023 season.
"I am sure (signs are there), there is no pressure on Virat this year. We talked about it before the tournament. Me and AB. AB said 'Hey, he is hungry, there is no pressure'. We have seen the Virat that we saw in 2016 and this could be trouble for bowlers," Gayle told Jio Cinema.
"This can be very interesting to see how he carries on. 82 not out, a fantastic start. With Faf doing well, it's going to be carnage for the bowlers at the other end," he added.
Kohli looked in his elements while playing in front of RCB’s home fans for the first time since 2019, and Gayle said the crowd support will bring the best out of the star batter.
"It (crowd support) will help a lot. The fans have a big part to play in this as well. They haven't had a home game in 3 years. You want to prove something to the fans. This will propel a player like Virat to do well for their fans. We saw them cheering all night for the team. I am happy," he stated.
Gayle also feels that the opening combination of Kohli and Du Plessis will complement each other well this season.
"This is not new for Faf. We all know his class, he has done it in the IPL and in international cricket as well. He is a wonderful leader. One thing I can tell you, Virat and Faf will feed off each other perfectly. They will look to drop and run, pick up 1s and 2s. And when the time comes, they will be ready to take them down," he remarked.
RCB will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their next clash at the Eden Gardens on Thursday (April 6).
