Virat Kohli After Smashing 47-ball 92: 'Was Important for Me to Keep Up the Strike Rate'

Virat Kohli smashed a 47-ball 92 as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) posted 241/7 from their 20 overs against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday.

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Asked to bat first, in-form opener Kohli got off to a brisk start before Rajat Patidar (55 off 23 balls) joined his senior partner to take the PBKS bowlers to the cleaners. Cameron Green contributed a breezy 46 off 27 balls at the rear end of the innings.

Being criticised for his scoring rate, Kohli’s strike rate of 195.74 will surely bolster fans.

Kohli said that it was important to keep his strike rate up through the innings, adding that it was a tricky phase when Patidar got out and the rain and hail came down. He also said that they needed time to settle in but once Green and him did, he knew they had to go all out attack.

“Was important for me to keep up the strike rate right through,” Virat Kohli said with a smile.

“There was a bit of a tricky phase when Patidar got out and rain came. Green got a couple of boundaries and then I thought it was time for me to go after the bowling. When the seamers were bowling up front, it was two-paced. It was dry and the ball was stopping it. Due to the two-pace nature, it’s an opportunity for our pacers to exploit the swing,” he added.

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Kohli thought 230-plus would be a good total.

“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. We thought anything over 230 would be a good total here. That was the only mindset. That was a hell of an over from Harshal in the last over otherwise we would’ve been 250-plus,” Kohli said.