Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener Virat Kohli spoke about his approach to run-chases after once again guiding his team to victory, this time against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday, April 28.
Chasing 163, RCB found themselves in deep trouble at 26/3. Kohli then forged a match-winning 119-run partnership off 84 balls with Krunal Pandya to steer RCB home. The former skipper played the anchor’s role, acting as the second fiddle in the partnership. Kohli crafted a steady knock of 51 runs from 47 balls.
Although it was a slow-paced innings, he ensured he took the doorsteps of the victory line without worrying about the strike rate. Remarkably, this was Kohli’s fourth consecutive fifty in a run-chase this season – all of them resulting in victories for RCB.
Kohli underlines the importance of strike-rotation
“It was a top win, especially considering the surface. This wicket played very differently to the others. Whenever there’s a chase, I keep checking with the dugout if we’re on course, what my role is, etc. Krunal… today was his day. We were waiting for him to come into the tournament with the bat. We discuss who the bowlers are to target. I just try to ensure I don’t stop the flow of singles and doubles, with the occasional boundary,” Kohli said during a post-match interview with the broadcasters.
With another fifty under his belt – his 61st in the IPL – Kohli has now become the tournament’s highest run-scorer and holds the Orange Cap with 443 runs from 10 matches at an average of 63.28.