Skip to main content

"Important For Me To...": Kohli Takes Dig At Strike-Rate Critics Again

Another day, another fresh strike-rate talk, with Virat Kohli at the centre of it. This time, however, Kohli himself brought up the topic. After scoring a match-winning 47-ball 92 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru against Punjab Kings, which saw him reach a strike-rate of 195.74 with the help of six sixes and seven fours, Kohli brought up the strike-rate talk yet again in the mid-innings break. The cheekiness of the statement and his smiling gesture gave a strong impression that he was aiming at something.

"Was important for me to keep up the strike rate right through (laughs). I was just focussed on taking the momentum forward. There was a tricky phase when Rajat got out, and there was a break for rain and hail. We had a bit of stop of momentum," he said at the innings break. 

"Had to rebuild for 8-10 balls. Once the base was set and Cam got a few boundaries away, I thought I had to go again. Surface was pretty dry underneath, and there was some grass coverage as well. If you saw Faf and me got done by lack of pace off the pitch. There was a two-paced feel with the new ball, which I think is a great opportunity for our bowlers to make early inroads and exploit that swing out there. We thought anything over 230 would be a good total here. That was the only mindset."

Easrlier, depite his good form in the IPl 2024, pundits raised concerns about his strike-rate, especially comparing it with modern-age T20 batting.

To which, Kohli recently said: "All the people who talk about strike rates and me not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff.

"For me, it's about winning the games for the team and there's a reason why you've done it for 15 years. You've done this day in and day out, you've won games for your teams, I'm not quite sure that if you haven't been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game from the box."



source https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/important-for-me-to-virat-kohli-takes-sly-dig-at-strike-rate-critics-after-47-ball-for-rcb-vs-pbks-5628185

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

156.7 Kmph Sensation Awaits India Debut, Bangladesh Start Life After Shakib

Pace sensation Mayank Yadav is expected to unleash his raw speed while the absence of India's T20 regulars will provide another opportunity to the fringe players in the three-match series against Bangladesh, beginning here Sunday. Having consistently generated speed in excess of 150kmph in his maiden IPL earlier this year, Mayank had drawn the attention of the cricketing world before a side strain ruled him out of the tournament. Usually, one has to prove fitness in domestic cricket to be considered for national selection but the 22-year-old has been fast-tracked into the side considering his special talent. The series against Bangladesh will be a test of his fitness and temperament. It is yet to be figured if he can display the same accuracy and control that he exhibited in the IPL. Besides Mayank, fellow Delhi pacer Harshit Rana and all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy could also make their India debut over the course of the series. Nitish was picked for the Zimbabwe tour post the T...

PCB Not Happy With Pak Star Over Social Media Post On Babar Snub: Report

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is not pleased that Fakhar Zaman questioned the selection panel's decision to sideline Babar Azam from the Test side. The panel dropped former captain Babar Azam when they announced the squad for the remaining two Tests against England in Multan and Rawalpindi. Zaman took to X to question the decision, inviting the ire of the PCB. "The top board officials are not pleased with the tweet sent out by Fakhar and relevant persons are having a word with him about it," a well-informed PCB source said. "It's concerning to hear suggestions about dropping Babar Azam. India didn't bench Virat Kohli during his rough stretch between 2020 and 2023, when he averaged 19.33, 28.21, and 26.50, respectively. "If we are considering sidelining our premier batsman, arguably the best Pakistan has ever produced, it could send a deeply negative message across the team. There is still time to avoid pressing the panic button; we should focus on sa...

Gardner Shines Again As GG Register Six-Wicket Win Over UPW In WPL 2025

Skipper Ashleigh Gardner starred with both bat and ball, leading Gujarat Giants to a comprehensive six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in their Women's Premier League match in Vadodara on Sunday. Gardner (2/39) claimed two wickets and then scored a stylish 32-ball 52, her second consecutive fifty, as Gujarat registered their first win of the third edition of the tournament, following a loss in the opening game to Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Opting to bowl, Gujarat produced a clinical effort with young spinner Priya Mishra returning impressive figures of 4-0-25-3. Skipper Gardner, Deandra Dottin (2/34), and Kashvee Gautam (1/15) also played key roles in restricting UPW to 143 for nine. Chasing 144 to win, the Giants were reduced to 22 for 2 with opener Beth Mooney and Dayalan Hemalata back in the pavilion after UPW introduced spin at both ends. However, Gardner produced an inspired knock, adding 55 runs off 42 balls with Laura Wolvaardt (22) to resurrect the innings. Gardner struck t...