He turned chasing targets into an art long ago. Another example of that artistry was on display against Rajasthan Royals. Opening the innings, he remained unbeaten till the end. Devdutt Padikkal struck a four in the 18th over to seal the win for RCB.
There was no scope for putting up a big total on the Jaipur wicket. On this tricky pitch, the ball was sometimes keeping low, sometimes showing uneven bounce. In that situation, Virat Kohli did exactly what was needed.
While Phil Salt was launching a flurry of fours and sixes from one end, Virat Kohli was like a calm river. Instead of going for big shots, he focused more on finding gaps and rotating the strike. He was on 33 off 32 balls at one point. Then, he began shifting gears. By then, Phil Salt had already returned to the pavilion. At that moment, Kohli returned to his true form.
He had already elevated run-chasing to an art form. And once again, that artistry was visible against Rajasthan Royals. Opening the innings, he stayed unbeaten till the end. Devdutt Padikkal sealed the win for RCB with a boundary in the 18th over.
And it was Kohli who laid the foundation for it all. He scored 62 runs off 45 balls. This was Virat Kohli’s 250th IPL match, and he made it memorable with the 100th T20 half-century of his career. His innings, which included four boundaries and two sixes, came at a strike rate of nearly 138.
On such a wicket, an anchoring knock like this was extremely important for RCB. That’s why the victory came with 15 balls to spare for Kohli and his team.
