Former Royal Challengers Bangalore captain, Virat Kohli, faced scrutiny after his 67-ball century during the IPL 2024 clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on April 6th. Despite Kohli’s unbeaten 113 off 72 balls, which boasted a strike rate of 156.94, his century was the joint-slowest in the league’s history.
Ambati Rayudu, former India cricketer, shared his perspective on Kohli’s innings. Rayudu acknowledged that while Kohli could have accelerated his scoring rate by targeting boundaries, doing so might have jeopardized his wicket. He praised Kohli’s century as “one of his finest”, highlighting his selfless approach for the team’s benefit. Rayudu emphasized Kohli’s pivotal role as the main contributor for Bengaluru, as his century propelled RCB to a total of 183/3 in 20 overs.
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However, RR clinched victory with a six-wicket win, fueled by Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 100 off 58 balls. Ambati Rayudu lauded Kohli’s performance, stating, “For me, it is one of the finest hundreds of his career. He played selflessly; he played for the team.” He noted that Kohli could have risked dismissal by chasing fours and sixes but instead prioritized the team’s needs.
Despite Kohli’s stellar form, RCB’s overall batting display has been lackluster this season. Rayudu stressed the importance of other batsmen stepping up to support Kohli. He also criticized tactical decisions such as the delayed promotion of Dinesh Karthik in the batting order against RR.
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Ambati Rayudu addressed RCB’s broader issues, stating, “The problem is not Virat’s strike rate but the performance of the remaining batters. They are not simply contributing.” He questioned the absence of Mahipal Lomror, a key player in RCB’s sole victory, from the Playing XI.
RCB’s defeat against RR marked their fourth loss in IPL 2024, leaving them with just one win from five games and positioned at the eighth spot on the points table.
