Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting star Virat Kohli gave a befitting reply to the critics questioning his strike rate and gameplay against spin-bowling. The 35-year-old spoke to the host broadcaster following the match against the Gujarat Titans and answered the question about strike rates, claiming that experienced players know what they are doing, given they have been doing it for years.
While the veteran batter is currently the highest run-getter in IPL 2024 and in the history of the tournament, a few former players have questioned his strike rate. Kohli has come under scrutiny on multiple questions when the team was on a losing streak, especially following his hundred against the Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur.
When questioned whether criticism about strike rates bother him, Kohli stated that people are not entitled to condemn if they've not been in that position themselves. The Delhi-born cricketer elaborated:
"Not really, 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. For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out, but those who have done day in and day out, they know what's happening and it's a kind of muscle memory for me now."
Will Jacks' maiden IPL hundred outshines Virat Kohli's 70:
With 201 to chase, Will Jacks joined Kohli in the 4th over when Faf du Plessis holed out to deep mid-wicket after his brief innings. While both Kohli and Jacks initially struggled to time the ball, they found their footing after the halfway mark.
Jacks, who smacked his 2nd IPL half-century, turned it on in the 15th over of the innings. He tore apart both Mohit Sharma and Rashid Khan, carting them for 29 runs each to get to his hundred in only 41 deliveries. It took the Royal Challengers only 16 overs to chase the target down.
