Stopping Virat Kohli will be the prime agenda of Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians of Friday. Virat Kohli has been in a good form and is set to open the innings for Royal Challengers Bangalore this year. In 2016, as opener of RCB Kohli was in destructive form. Rohit Sharma and co have to strategize to stop Kohli before the RCB settles down.
Opening Encounter of IPL
The opening encounter of IPL 2020 will see Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bangalore taking on Mumbai Indians, the defending champions. Kohli will be opening the innings for IPL as already announced.
Kohli’s record as an opener will be the boast for Royal Challengers Bangalore. As an opener Kohli has been much better as compared to his record while batting in other positions in IPL. Virat Kohli averages 47.96 as an opener in the IPL whereas his average is 34.0 in other batting positions. His average of 47.96 as an opener is also one of the best and most consistent. Kohli has a strike-rate of over 200 in the death overs which means oppositions cannot let him stay for that long on the crease.
But How Do Mumbai Indians Stop Virat Kohli Tomorrow?
Now the onus will be on Mumbai Indians bowler to contain him. Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Kohli thrice in the IPL before. On the other, Trent Boult has good record against Kohli in Test and ODI. Kohli’s record against left-arm fast seamer is not that which is Boult may trouble him.
Kohli has been dismissed 30 times by left-arm pacers in the league so far. His dot-ball percentage and balls per dismissal record also are not anything great against them. Kohli gets dismissed by a left-arm pacer every 18.27 deliveries which is his worst against any other type of bowler. However, there will not be much help from the Chennai pitch. So Boult needs to use his experience well to stop one of the finest batsmen of this generation.
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