Virat Kohli, the Royal Challengers Bangalore batting talisman, who is well on course for the sixth 500-run season of his illustrious IPL career, should aim to keep up a high tempo once he gets off to a start. That’s the view of Ravi Shastri, who coached the Indian team for much of Kohli’s tenure as captain.
Kohli has six half-centuries and 419 runs this season, but his strike-rate of 135.16 (slightly over eight runs an over) has come under scrutiny during a campaign when teams have regularly been scoring in excess of 180. Tom Moody, who coached Sunrisers Hyderabad to the IPL title in 2016, went so far as to suggest that Kohli’s approach, of playing the sheet-anchor role, was obsolete.
Those remarks came in the aftermath of Bangalore’s loss to Delhi Capitals, a game in which Kohli made a 46-ball 55. “Once you get the tempo, just keep going, don’t think about others,” said Shastri, speaking to ESPNCricinfo. “This would be my advice to Virat. In T20 cricket, you don’t need many batters. So, if you’re hot, keep going. If you get the tempo, try and up the ante.”