Lot of people think my T20 batting is declining, I don't think that at all: Virat Kohli after slamming century against GT
May 21, 2023
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], May 21 : After slamming the second consecutive century in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli on Sunday said that although a lot of people believe that his performance in the T20 format is declining, however, the former RCB captain thinks otherwise.
Kohli on Sunday scripted history as he slammed his seventh Indian Premier League (IPL) century, becoming the player to hit the most hundreds in the tournament's history.
It was a 60-ball 100, a knock studded with 13 fours and 1 sixes, but Kohli made it a point to stay true to his technique, with each of those runs coming via proper cricketing shots. Kohli slammed back-to-back centuries for RCB, scoring his seventh ton in the tournament's history.
Kohli's masterful knock saw the star batter achieve this feat during a match against Gujarat Titans in their do-or-die match of IPL 2023.
"I felt great. A lot of people think that my T20 cricket is declining, I don't think so. I look to hit gaps and then the big ones towards the end. You have to read situations and rise up to the situations. I feel really good with my game at the moment," the 34-year-old batter said during the post-innings interaction.
The RCB former skipper believes if the Bangalore bowlers stick to their strategies successfully, they can defend a total of 197 runs.
"We would have taken that with both hands once we were five wickets down. We pretty much pulled things back towards the end. Close to 200 is a winnable score for me. It's upon the bowlers to execute," he said.
Talking more about his knock, Kohli said, "You have to read situations and rise up to the situations. I feel really good about my game at the moment. Spin wasn't easy to get away from. There's enough on this pitch for our bowlers."
"What matters is to stay in the present. I wasn't focusing on the rain, focused on what I need to do for the team," he said.
It was Kohli's seventh century in IPLs - overtaking the record set by Chris Gayle (6) - and reinforced his enduring impact in the format, coming on the back of debate over whether his strike rate in the middle overs hampers the team.
Coming to the match, it was a vintage Virat Kohli show as Gujarat Titans bowlers found themselves helpless in front of his sublime knock of 101* at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.
RCB made a vintage start to the game as Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli showcased their batting skills and ability to dictate the flow of the game early in the innings.