Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli. (Video Grab)
NEW DELHI: Former Indian captain and Team India head coach Ravi Shastri, renowned for his candid talks, made a striking statement regarding Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batsman Virat Kohli. Shastri suggested that if the IPL were an individual sport, Kohli would have likely possessed the most impressive collection of trophies in his cabinet.
RCB’s performance in the IPL season so far has been dismal, with three losses out of four games.While Kohli has been impressive overall, amassing 203 runs at a strike-rate exceeding 140, his contributions during the Powerplay overs haven’t been as dominant as expected.
Despite Kohli’s individual success, RCB’s struggles during the crucial Powerplay phase might be a contributing factor to their poor show.
Kohli, known for his ability to anchor the innings, might be looking to make adjustments to his approach during the early overs to provide a stronger foundation for his team in the upcoming matches.
However, Shastri, while speaking on Star Sports, lauded Kohli for his performances in the cash-rich league over the years.
“Virat Kohli would have the most number of trophies if IPL was an individual sport,” Shastri said.
The star Indian batter also became the first Indian player in the history to play 100 T20 matches at a single venue, when he came out to bat against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Earlier on Tuesday, left-arm spinner Manimaran Siddharth of LSG dismissed Kohli for his maiden IPL wicket, which gave him the validation he was seeking after turning to left-arm spin from pace bowling some summers ago.
In the fifth over of the Powerplay, specifically his third, Siddharth claimed the prized wicket of Kohli. Kohli’s attempt to negotiate a fuller delivery on the off-stump resulted in a leading edge, with the ball lofting towards Devdutt Padikkal stationed at backward point, who took the catch.
This crucial breakthrough marked the beginning of LSG’s 28-run victory over RCB in their IPL 2024 encounter. Siddharth’s dismissal of Kohli set the tone for his team’s triumph in the match.
