Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said that Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli’s greatness has been reduced at the Chepauk Stadium in Chennai as well. However, RCB will be playing against defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of IPL 2024 on March 22. Notably, Kohli is the all-time top run-scorer in the IPL, having scored 7,263 runs in 237 matches, at an average of 37.25 while smashing seven tons and 50 half-centuries as well.

Speaking to Star Sports, Harbhajan said, “The greatness of Virat has been reduced in terms of his overall performance at that venue. It is a tricky venue to bat, especially as an opening batsman against a sort of weird tennis ball type bounce. They’ve got the great Jadeja bowling stump to stump. He’ll get the oddball to turn and then the oddball to stay low. It’s really tricky.”

He again added that Kohli can put together a match-winning knock if he can bat for long against CSK. However, he has been dismissed three times in his last five innings against CSK as well. And, Harbhajan said it’s important for Kohli to have a season like 2016 if RCB wants to win their first-ever IPL title. Kohli scored 973 runs in 16 matches in 2016 as well.

“If he’s actually prepared to bat about 20 overs, then he can put together a match-winning performance because two hundreds at the accessible Chinnaswamy do not necessarily guarantee the same at Chepauk. It’s important for him to have a season like 2016, because if Virat goes on to score runs, the team will go forward. I don’t know if they will go on to win the cup or not. But with the brilliant individuals they have in their team like Virat, Maxwell, Green, and a few more like Patidar. I believe they have a lot of good batting and everyone wants Virat to have a repeat of 2016,” concluded Harbhajan Singh.