Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri believes that after star batter Virat Kohli gets his form back in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2023), he should not slow down.
On Saturday, May 6, Delhi Capitals defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets. Many questioned the former RCB captain’s strike rate after he scored 55 runs off 46 balls.
Some may claim that Kohli was forced to play the anchor role because of RCB’s poor middle order. Shastri, on the other hand, believes that there is no room for a set batter to slow down in a T20 game. He told the right-hander to keep hitting recklessly and to try to escalate the ante without worrying about who might come next.
Ravi Shastri commented on Virat Kohli’s strike rate in an interview with ESPNCricinfo:
“Once you get the tempo, just keep going, don’t think about others – this would be my advice to Virat. In T20 cricket, you don’t need many batters, so if you’re hot, keep going. If you get the tempo, try and up the ante.”
Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni know there’s a camera on them all the time: Ravi Shastri
The images of Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly shaking hands after the DC vs RCB game went popular on social media. The pair had not touched hands in the last match, and many fans suspected it was because of the captaincy drama with Kohli while Ganguly was the BCCI president.
Ravi Shastri spoke about how star cricketers like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni are well known on the field to not let the cameras capture any of their rage or aggression. Fans and the media can then take these out of context.
On this, Shastri stated:
“Players like Dhoni, Kohli, they know that there’s a camera on them all the time. And you deserve it for what you have done and achieved in the game. So you can get a lot of brownie points by just being smart on camera.”
During the interview with ESPN Cricinfo, Shastri praised Dhoni for leading the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the IPL 2023 despite their injury issues. He went on to say:
“Dhoni is a master of making a combination by backing players who may not have done well in 2022 but believing that they will do well in 2023. Now they look dangerous and could go the distance with two playoff games in Chennai because they are settled.”
CSK stands at second on the rankings, and appears to be in pole position to make the playoffs. They are also on track to finish for the top two, allowing them to compete in a home Qualifier.
Meanwhile, Kohli’s RCB are fifth but have the same points as the fourth-placed Rajasthan Royals, who have played one extra game.
