Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra observed that Virat Kohli could not change gears against Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad on Thursday. Kohli got off to a quick start, scoring 32 runs off 18 balls in the Powerplay overs.
However, he could not find the fence after the field restrictions were lifted. Kohli trudged to 19 runs off 25 balls after the first six overs and failed to score his runs at a rapid pace against the spinners.
In the end, Kohli was dismissed after scoring 51 off 43 balls by a slower bouncer from Jaydev Unadkat.
“Virat Kohli was very, very aggressive in the powerplay but slowed down after that. He probably scored only 19 runs off the last 25 balls he faced. He got out probably in the 14th or 15th over but his last boundary came off the third ball of the sixth over. Not even a single boundary came from his bat in the eight-odd overs after the powerplay,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Meanwhile, the renowned commentator lauded Rajat Patidar for his quickfire knock of 20-ball 50. Patidar was able to get off the blocks in a jiffy and batted with an aggressive approach against the spinners in the middle overs.
“He tried a little but couldn’t hit. When he was going slow, Rajat Patidar managed the party. 27 runs were scored in an over from Mayank Markande. He hit four sixes. He took the team to a position from where they would go past 200 with a slight push. That push was given by Cameron Green,” Chopra elaborated.
On the other hand, former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh also feels Virat Kohli’s strike rate could have been better after the Powerplay.
“He played the powerplay brilliantly because the field was in and you get the gaps as well. When the field opens up, I am not saying that you need to convert every ball into a four but the strike rate could have been slightly better because he scored 20 runs in 27 balls,” he said.
The Turbanator also lauded Rajat Patidar for his aggressive knock to keep the momentum on for RCB.
“Patidar was playing the big shots at the other end but he will be slightly disappointed with himself because he has the ability to play much better than that. The innings started becoming slower as soon as the powerplay ended and Patidar was looking like a different-level player at the other end because he was hitting sixes at will,” Harbhajan observed.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday.
