Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s key player Virat Kohli expressed gratitude towards spectators at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. This happened during their IPL 2024 match versus SunRisers Hyderabad on April 25th.
A video clip gained traction online, capturing Virat Kohli appreciating Hyderabad’s crowd support as he took fielding position near boundary. You can witness this clip below:
Virat and Rajat dominated with half-centuries. They scored 51 and 50 runs, respectively. RCB elected to bat first, posting 206/7. SRH, in reply, could only manage 171/8 in their 20 overs.
Bengaluru secured a crucial 35-run victory, ending their losing streak. However, with just two wins from nine games, they remain at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table.
Aaron Finch Explains Factors Behind Virat Kohli’s Strike Rate in SRH vs RCB Encounter
Virat Kohli’s run-flow dwindled after the powerplay phase. The RCB opener mustered 51 from 43 deliveries, reflecting a pedestrian strike rate of 118.60.
Aaron Finch, Australia’s former captain, shared his thoughts on Kohli’s strike rate. Finch reasoned Kohli wisely ceded strike to Rajat Patidar, allowing the latter’s brisk scoring benefited RCB.
Here’s what Finch told Star Sports regarding Kohli’s approach:
“I think it is a combination of a few things here. Yes, he got off to an absolute flyer. But after the powerplay, he dropped to 19 from 25. But one thing you have to keep in mind is that Patidar was going crazy at the other end. Sometimes your job as a set batter is to take the game a little bit deeper and get Patidar on strike as much as possible. That’s where the intent to hit boundaries goes out.”
Aaron Finch
Aaron Finch added:
“You can look at him in isolation and say, ‘Yes, it dropped’. But as a partnership, it worked really well. Because the last thing you want when you’re on fire is to be stuck at the non-striker’s end a lot. He did the right thing by getting Patidar up there.”
Aaron Finch
This season of IPL, Virat Kohli has scored the most runs: a mind-boggling 430 runs in just nine innings. His strike rate of 145.76 is impressive too. His batting has been simply unstoppable.