NEWS
Follow UsIt could have been a different ending to the game between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium had Virat Kohli been caught at slip by Jonny Bairstow for a duck. However, the Englishman dropped the chance and Kohli went on to score a match-winning 49-ball 77.
Speaking of his strategy against PBKS, Kohli said, "In T20, I'm opening, I try to give the team a blazing start. But when wickets start falling, you have to understand the conditions as well.
"The wicket wasn't as placid as normal here. It was a bit two-paced. Had to play correct cricketing shots, couldn't hit balls across the line. Tried a few, felt like I needed big hits at the other end, which didn't happen as Maxi and Anuj got out quickly. Disappointed not having finished it off. It was a slot ball that I sliced straight to deep point. Not a bad bad though playing after two months and getting into the tournament."
Kohli said that he still has the skill to excel in T20 format despite many bowlers working on preventing him from playing those cover drives he plays so well and to good effect.
Moreover, with the T20 World Cup set to be played in the US this time for the first time - a region where cricket is slowly thriving, the common consensus among pundits around the world is presence of someone of Kohli's stature, would certainly be a boost for the sport in that region. Moreover, cricket is also set to be part of the 2028 Olympics, set to take place in Los Angeles.
"The bowlers know I play the cover drive pretty well. So they won't allow me to hit gaps. Guys like KG [Kagiso Rabada] and Arshdeep [Singh], if they are hitting length, you have to create momentum, once you're closer to the ball you negate the bounce. You have to come up with a game plan and try to keep improving. I know my name is often used to just promote the T20 game across the world these days but still got it I guess."
PBKS skipper Shikhar Dhawan felt that his side fell 10-15 runs short and also rued dropping Kohli.
"Should have encashed in the first six overs. We had to pay the price for dropping Kohli. We lost momentum there, it was crucial," Dhawan said
Speaking of his performance, Dhawan said, "I was happy with my runs but think could've played faster in the first six. We lost two wickets which put pressure too. That total we thought was par. Match went till last over, at the end we could have bowled better."
Winning captain Faf du Plessis, however believed that the game was not over even when Kohli got out with Mahipal Lomror and Dinesh Karthik at the crease. "Great to see the composure at the end. Don't think game was gone after Kohli went, because of the Impact Player and Mahipal in," du Plessis said.
"In previous years we used to feel 12 runs in the last overs would be tough but now even 15s seem gettable in the last two. Really pleased for DK getting his game going. It sets us up for the rest of the tournament. Games get won at lost at the No. 7 and 8 position with the Impact subs, so he's key."
RCB will look to make it two on the bounce when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on March 29 (Friday) in Bengaluru, while PBKS take on Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on March 30 (Saturday).
