In anticipation of the upcoming match against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League 2024, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has suggested that the attention should be on Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Virat Kohli’s ability to hit the ball with power rather than his strike rate.
Kohli, the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2024, has accumulated 500 runs at a strike rate of 147.49 in 10 games. He has managed to hit 46 boundaries and 20 sixes in the ongoing T20 competition.
The ex-right-handed opener highlighted that, with the exception of Yashasvi Jaiswal, no one has delivered outstanding performances in matches following the announcement of the T20 World Cup 2024 squad. This includes Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, and Jasprit Bumrah.
Chopra expressed his opinion on his YouTube channel, stating, ‘At present, every player who has been named in the World Cup team has had a poor first match following the announcement, whether it’s Rohit (Sharma), Hardik (Pandya), Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), Jasprit (Bumrah), Yuzi (Yuzvendra) Chahal, or Sanju Samson. Only Yashasvi Jaiswal managed to score some runs.’
The former cricketer emphasized that for Bangalore to secure a victory against Gujarat, Kohli must take charge of the batting and accumulate runs.
‘So my belief is that Virat Kohli should contribute with the bat. I am anticipating a strong performance from Virat Kohli, and for Bangalore to triumph, he needs to stay at the crease. The focus should not be on strike rate, but on effective hitting,’ Chopra remarked.
Currently positioned at the bottom of the league table with three wins and seven losses, totaling six points, RCB is scheduled to play against Gujarat Titans (GT) at their home ground on Saturday in the ongoing 17th season of the lucrative league.
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