Former Team India batter Ambati Rayudu has come to the defense of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) star Virat Kohli amidst ongoing criticism of his batting strike rate. Rayudu emphasized the importance of considering the match situation and pitch conditions rather than focusing solely on collective statistics. Despite maintaining an excellent strike rate of over 155 in the current IPL season, Kohli has faced scrutiny for his batting tempo in specific innings.
Kohli, 35, leads the run-scoring charts this season with 661 runs at an average of 66.10 in 13 outings. Despite his improved tempo this season, Kohli’s career IPL strike rate stands at a slightly below-par 131.80 over 250 games. In T20Is, he has scored at a strike rate of just over 138.
“He showed a lot of intent in the middle overs against the spinners” – Harbhajan Singh
Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh echoed Rayudu’s sentiments, praising Kohli for evolving against spin during this IPL season despite his legendary status. Kohli’s strike rate improved from around 120 between IPL 2020 to 2022 to nearly 140 last year, and over 150 this season.
Thanks to Kohli’s heroics, RCB has made a stellar comeback in the tournament after winning only one of their first eight games. They have now won five straight matches and remain in the playoff hunt.
RCB will play their final league-stage game against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in a potential winner-takes-all encounter on Saturday, May 18.
By focusing on context and match situations, both Rayudu and Harbhajan Singh highlight the complexities of T20 cricket and defend Kohli’s contributions to RCB’s resurgence this season.
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