Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated Punjab Kings by four wickets on Monday (March 25) to register their first win of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season and Virat Kohli stood out for his 77-run knock in the chase and also won the Player of the Match award.
However, more than RCB’s win, Kohli’s comments in the post-match presentation attracted a lot of attention. Not long ago, his place in India’s T20 World Cup squad was being questioned when he was on the break. Moreover, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen also stated in a commentary recently that Kohli should be picked in the team to promote the game globally.
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The man probably came across all the reports and the comments and cheekily stated that he has still it in him to come good in the shortest format of the game. “I know my name is now attached to just promoting the game in different parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. But I've still got it I guess,” Kohli said.
Virat Kohli opens up about life away from cricket
Apart from this, the former RCB skipper also opened up about time away from the sport. Kohli missed the five-match Test series against England for the birth of his second child – Akaay who was born on February 15 this year. He reflected on being away from all the fame during this period and how life was normal with not many recognising him on the streets.
“We were not in the country (talking about his break). We were in a place where people were not recognising us. Just time together as a family, just to feel normal for two months – for me, my family – it was a surreal experience.
“Of course having two kids, things become totally different from a family perspective. Just the ability to be together, the connections you make with your older child. Couldn't have been more grateful to God for the opportunity to spend time with the family. It's an amazing experience to just be another person on the road and not be recognised,” the 35-year-old added.
As far as the match is concerned, the RCB opener admitted to the fact that the surface was two-paced and was disappointed not to finish the game for RCB. When Kohli got out, the hosts still needed around 47 runs to win in the last four overs.
“Wasn't the usual placid pitch. It was a bit two-paced. And I thought I need to play correct cricketing shots. Playing across the line wasn't working. Disappointed I couldn't finish the game. Was in the slot but sliced it to deep point. Not a bad start – playing after two months and getting into the tournament.
“They know I play the cover drive well, so they're not going to allow me to hit gaps. With guys like KG and Arshdeep hitting length, you have to create some momentum with the ball. Once you're closer to the ball, you negate the bounce and meet it earlier. You have to come up with a game plan here and there,” Kohli further said. The most capped RCB batter, Kohli will next be in action on Friday (March 29) against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Bengaluru.
