'If Virat bats in this fashion' - Former Indian player makes a massive statement after Virat Kohli's ton
Virat Kohli played a magnificent innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) last night, as he amassed his sixth century of the Indian Premier League (IPL). In a must-win game, the legendary batter stepped up for his team and ensured Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) remained alive in the race of playoffs.
The surface in Hyderabad wasn’t that easy to bat on, but Virat Kohli unleashed his beast mode and belted the SRH bowlers all around the park. He formed a sublime opening partnership with Faf du Plessis and made the contest one-sided during the second innings against the Orange army.
The best thing about this knock was Virat Kohli’s intent after the end of the powerplay overs, particularly against the spinners. Earlier, Kohli was often seen slowing down against the slow bowlers, and his skills were questioned by several cricket experts and viewers in the T20 format.
However, Virat Kohli just kept hitting the boundaries at regular intervals even after the field restrictions ended, which was refreshing to see. Kohli was seen batting with a slightly different template, which is not seen often, as the batter is known to slow down in the middle overs phase before accelerating again in the slog overs.
Sanjay Manjrekar wants Virat Kohli to bat with the same template
Among the many experts to heap praise on Virat Kohli for his fantastic knock last night was the veteran broadcaster and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar. While Sanjay praised the batter, he also wants Virat to continue with the same template in the upcoming games.
“I love the template with which he batted. I wish and pray that he continues in the same way, which is about trying to maximise returns on every ball. Sometimes, you wonder whether he sets a long-term target for himself and, in the process, loses control of the present. After he hit a couple of boundaries, you see him taking singles and prolong his innings,” stated Sanjay in a show with ESPNcricinfo.
Sanjay Manjrekar also exclaimed that Virat Kohli might play in the T20 format for a longer duration if he follows the same approach moving forward.
“Tonight, he just came in thinking differently. I don't know whether it was his own decision or someone spoke to him, but if Virat bats in this fashion, not only he's going to extend his T20 career, but suddenly, RCB looks like a different team.”
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