Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli seems to have a fun time with local cricketers in Himachal Pradesh during the team's practice session ahead of the IPL 2024 clash against Punjab Kings at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Thursday, May 9.
RCB and PBKS will lock horns against each other for the second time in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season. In their last encounter, RCB registered their first victory of the season with 4-wicket win over PBKS. Kohli played a match-winning knock of 77 off 49 balls to help the team chase down a 177-run target in 19.2 overs.
In a video that went viral on social media, Virat Kohli was seen talking to local Himachal players and cracking some jokes with them in his mother tongue, Punjabi. He also signed autographs for them before joining the team for the practice.
Virat Kohli has been in an incredible form in the ongoing IPL season. The 35-year-old is currently leading run-getter of the season and among the strong contenders to win Orange Cap, with 542 runs, including a century and 4 fifties, at an average of 67.75 and a strike rate of 148.08 in 11 matches.
Kohli's best performance came against Rajasthan Royals, where he was the first score a century in this IPL season. He played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 113 off 72 balls. However, his effort went in vain as Jos Buttler's unbeaten century helped RR chased down 183-run target set by RCB.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru in playoffs race with a 3-match winning streak
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are still contention for the playoffs with successive wins in their last three outings in the ongoing IPL season. The three-time IPL finalists kicked off their campaign with a defeat before they recorded their first win of the season.
Thereafter, RCB were on six-match losing streak before they broke the shackles of winless streak with three successive wins. Their successive wins in the last three matches helped to stay alive for the playoffs in the IPL 2024.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru are currently at the seventh spot with four wins in 11 outings and accumulated 8 points. However, Faf du Plessis-led side not only has to win the next matches but also ensure they have better Net Run Rate (NRR) than other top teams who are fighting for the fourth place finish in the league in order to make it to the playoffs.
