In the 45th IPL match played on April 28th, Indian batter Virat Kohli played a stellar innings for RCB against Gujarat Titans. Opening the batting, he scored an unbeaten 70 runs from 44 balls. His performance was crucial as RCB chased down a huge target of 201 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Kohli played aggressively against the spinners, particularly after the powerplay overs, which was notable and helped RCB maintain momentum in their pursuit of a big score. Apart from Kohli’s innings, Will Jacks took over and quickly sealed the victory with an outstanding century in just 41 balls.
Meanwhile, former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden praised Virat Kohli’s adaptability and learning ability, even after 15 years of international cricket. Hayden talked about the importance of Kohli’s presence in bringing an “element of unknown” to the Indian team, especially in their group-stage matches in the United States of America.
While talking to Star Sports, Hayden said, “You have 4 games in the US (T20 World Cup). So, there’s that element of unknown. You need his experience. Sweep shot. Longevity in your career means you have to keep making the adjustments. And I think Virat Kohli did need to make adjustments for RCB Outside the first six, there were some issues around strike rate. Certainly, his strike rate was dropping. But, against the Afghan spin twins today, those sweep shotsâ€æ that were typical of a great champion, to keep learning. That was an option to get off strike, to hit boundaries, and to keep momentum in your favor and then, you can say ‘I am doing my job today, you need to do yours.”
Matthew Hayden pointed out that people have been paying too much attention to Virat Kohli’s strike rate. He talked about how Kohli can score runs fast, with a strike rate of 150, and said that Kohli’s extensive experience in tough situations shouldn’t be questioned.
“There has been way too much focus on Virat Kohli and his lack of strike rate, in my mind because he has been brilliant. This season, he is striking at 150-plus,” Hayden said.
“And you have got to keep in mind that you can’t neglect the fact that you will get green tops now and then, seaming pitches. On those pitches, if you keep thinking about getting 200, you are going to be out. He is not. He has got the Orange Cap, he has no problem. He needs to have other people to get the job done,” concluded the former Australian cricketer.
