Virat Kohli continued his exemplary form in the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), as in Dharamsala on Thursday (9 May), he scored his third half-century in four matches, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru record a 60-run win over Punjab Kings.
Besides the shots he played, some of which were not seen off Kohli’s willow in recent times, his strike rate was also impressive. The former RCB skipper scored 92 runs in merely 47 deliveries, at a strike rate of 195.74.
Speaking on how he has managed to improve his strike rate in the middle overs, Kohli said:
I am still aiming to improve aspects of my game that I want to get better at. It is an evolving process. I brought out the slog-sweep to the spinners. I have not practised it, but I know I can hit it as I have done it in the past. I know I need to take risks, it needs a bit of conviction. To remove the thought of 'what if I get out?' means I can improve my strike rate in the middle overs.Virat Kohli
With 634 runs in 12 matches, which have come at an average of 70.44 and a strike rate of 153.51, Kohli is currently the leading run-scorer in the competition. However, he stated that he is aiming for quality over quantity.
It is still quality over quantity for me. More so, at this stage of my career. Understanding your game over so many years allows you to practise less, but still, you need to stay switched on.Virat Kohli
We Were Not Good Enough in the First Half: Virat Kohli
Thursday’s win was the fourth victory on the bounce for a rejuvenated Bengaluru side, who are now placed seventh in the standings with 10 points. Albeit their chances of qualification are not all but over, they are very slim, with the third-placed Sunrisers Hyderabad having already accumulated 14 points and the fourth-placed Chennai Super Kings having 12 points, but with a couple of points to spare.
Speaking on the mid-season comeback, Kohli rued the unimpressive displays from the first half of the campaign.
We have to be honest, we were not good enough in the first half of the tournament. We had those losses on the trot, we needed to pull up our socks. We got to a point where we said let us not look at the table and play for self-respect. We just can't go out there and play in such a way and disappoint our fans. The confidence is back and we are on a roll. If we had done so earlier we would be in a position needing to rely on so many factors.Virat Kohli
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