Aakash Chopra shared his opinion on the struggles of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batsman Virat Kohli in the 41st match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Aakash Chopra said that Virat Kohli failed to score a boundary in eight overs later of the power play against the SunRisers. Hyderabad (SRH).
The Bengaluru-based team registered its second win of the IPL 2024 season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The visiting team defeated Hyderabad by 35 runs in the recent match. However, Virat Kohli came under fire when cricket experts questioned his strike rate.
Virat Kohli slowed down after that – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted the difference in Virat Kohli’s approach during and after the powerplay. Chopra stated that Kohli did not hit a boundary in the eight overs after the powerplay.
“Virat Kohli was very, very aggressive in the powerplay, but he slowed down after that. He probably scored only 19 runs in the last 25 balls he faced. He probably got out in the 14th or 15th over, but his last boundary came with the third ball of the sixth over not even a single boundary came from his bat in the eight overs after the powerplay.” Chopra said.
Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis gave the team a great start after winning the toss. The batting duo added 48 runs in 3.5 overs. Faf scored 25 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed by T Natarajan. Kohli scored 32 runs in the first 18 balls and the RCB team finished the powerplay at 61/1.
Virat Kohli tried a little but couldn’t get it right – Aakash Chopra
The cricketer-turned-commentator praised Rajat Patidar for maintaining RCB’s momentum during the intermissions. Chopra stated that Cameron Green’s contribution further boosted his innings to cross the 200-run mark.
“He tried a little but couldn’t bat. When he was slow, Rajat Patidar managed the party. 27 runs were scored in an over by Mayank Markande. He hit four sixes. He took the team to a position from where they could go over 200 with a slight That push came from Cameron Green.” Chopra added.
Rajat Patidar scored a quick half-century in just 19 balls, including two fours and five sixes. However, Patidar was fired after achieving the milestone. Cameron Green scored an unbeaten 37 runs off 20 deliveries as the RCB team posted a challenging total of 206/7 in 20 overs.
Virat Kohli brilliantly performed the Powerplay – Harbhajan Singh
Speaking on Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh expressed concern over Virat Kohli’s performance after the powerplay. Harbhajan noted that Kohli’s strike rate could have been slightly better, highlighting his slow batting after the powerplay.
“He played the powerplay brilliantly because the pitch was in and there are spaces too. When the pitch opens up, I’m not saying you need to turn every ball into a four, but the strike rate could have been a little better because he scored 20 runs in 27 balls”, Harbhajan said.
Virat Kohli will next be seen in action when Royal Challengers Bangalore take on Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 28. The team led by Faf du Plessis will be eliminated if they lose their next match. .
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