Kohli won the orange cap and dominated the post-match awards. He had scored 98 runs.
Digital Desk: Virat Kohli took aim at critics of his status in India’s T20I side in his post-match interview, after he smashed a player of the match performance in Royal Challengers Bangaluru’s win over Punjab Kings on Monday.
In the last over, Dinesh Karthik hit 28 runs off of just 10 balls, clinching an exciting victory for the Royal Challenge Bengaluru against the opposition. Kohli scored 77 off 49 balls opening the batting with wickets falling around him.
Faf du Plessis and Cameron Green were both out in the powerplay, with Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell both falling within two balls of each other. After hitting two sixes and eleven fours in his innings, he was out on the final ball of the 16th over, marking his 51st half-century in the Indian Premier League.
After the match, Kohli won the orange cap and dominated the post-match awards. He had scored 98 runs. When discussing his performance with Harsha Bhogle, Kohli remarked, "I know my name is quite attached to just promoting the game in many parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket, but I have still got it I guess."
Kohli’s comment is in the context of the questions over his place in India’s T20I side. With a T20 World Cup on the horizon, Kohli has only played two T20Is for India since November 2022. To ensure his spot in the format, he has reportedly also been instructed to bat more aggressively.
In an earlier IPL 2024 commentary, Kevin Pietersen stated, "You want someone like Virat Kohli to grow the game in America and globally." He suggested that Kohli should be selected for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be held in the USA and the West Indies, for the benefit of the sport regardless of his performance.
"You have to build the team to win the tournament and trophy, not to grow the game. The game will automatically expand if you win the trophy," Ravi Shastri replied.
During the post-match presentation, Kohli was extremely candid. As the home fans exploded in excitement when Kohli handed them the orange cap, he urged them not to get too excited about it. “Don’t get over-excited. It’s only been two games. I know what this means,” he said.
When asked if he would continue to wear the orange cap, Kohli replied Kohli said that he is not driven by stuff like that any more. “I don’t play for caps and all to be honest,” he said. “It’s, for me, an opportunity to help my team. That’s the only thing that I have given to Indian cricket, to RCB. And that’s the promise I can give here. Not probably the orange cap, but I’ll keep turning up and keep trying my best. That’s it.”
On Friday, March 29, 2024, the Royal Challengers of Bangalore (RCB) will take on the Kolkata Knight Riders.
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