Indian batting superstar Virat Kohli finally cracked his eighth IPL century, reclaiming the top spot for most hundreds in the tournament. But hold on a minute! This century came at a cost – a whopping 67 balls.
Fans are divided. Some erupt in joy, hailing it as a masterclass innings. Others scratch their heads. Is T20 cricket, a format built for rapid fire scoring, still Kohli’s playground? Did his slow knock hinder Royal Challengers Bangalore’s chances?
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Wait, there’s more! This century wasn’t just any century. It propelled Kohli to a staggering 7,500 IPL runs, making him the undisputed king of the run charts. Not only that, it was his first century against the Rajasthan Royals and at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, silencing his doubters in grand style.
So, is Kohli back to ruling the IPL? The jury’s still out. Yes, the century was impressive, but whispers remain about his ability to adapt to the blazing speed of T20 cricket. Only time will tell if Kohli can transform his batting style and reign supreme in this electrifying format.
Kohli’s Ton: A Run-Fest or Missed Opportunity?
Virat Kohli silenced the doubters with a commanding 113 against Rajasthan Royals, but a shadow of doubt lingers – his strike rate. Despite a brilliant unbeaten knock off just 72 balls, some question if it was slow-burn or simply slow.
This could be noted that this isn’t the first time Kohli’s paced innings have shocked everyone. Even with so many wickets in hand, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) fell short for a great total. One over near the end, with Kohli agonizingly close to a century (stuck at 98), yielded a mere 4 runs – no boundaries to be seen!
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His century, reached in 67 balls, is actually Kohli’s slowest ever in the IPL, mirroring Manish Pandey’s feat back in 2009. While Kohli leads the run-scorers’ list with a healthy 316 runs in 5 matches and an average of 105.33, his strike rate dips below the magical 150 mark.
There were glimpses of vintage Kohli though. He smashed 12 fours and 4 sixes, starting cautiously before exploding against the pacers with a couple of sixes. However, the spinners, like Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin, proved a tougher nut to crack, limiting his boundary-hitting opportunities.
So, was Kohli’s century a masterclass or a missed opportunity for RCB? The debate continues.
Tough Pitch Slows Down Kohli’s Strike Rate
Virat Kohli faced a tricky wicket (pitch) against Rajasthan Royals. The ball just wasn’t bouncing as expected, making strokeplay difficult. Kohli and skipper Faf du Plessis initially aimed for a big total – over 190 runs. But that plan went out the window when the slow pitch became clear.
Here’s where things got interesting. Kohli’s strike rate – how fast he scores – soared against the fast bowlers, but dipped when the spinners came on. Why the drop? Kohli himself explained the struggle. He tried to muscle the ball away against spinners like Chahal and Ashwin, but the low bounce made clean hitting tough.
The key, Kohli says, is adapting to the pitch conditions. Even dew on the ground doesn’t guarantee a good batting surface – a dry and rough pitch can still be a nightmare. This lack of bounce forced Kohli to ditch his plan of hitting towards mid-wicket, and instead, he had to focus on hitting straight down the ground.
So, was it a masterclass in adaptability or a missed opportunity for big runs? That’s the question cricket fans are pondering.
