"Didn't expect that much dew to kick in that early" - Virat Kohli reacts after losing to KKR
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Virat Kohli rued the dew factor after going down to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday in Abu Dhabi.
RCB looked clueless against Kolkata's spinners during the encounter. Varun Chakravarthy and Andre Russell were the pick of the bowlers, as they restricted Virat Kohli & Co to 92 before chasing down the total in just 10 overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders completely outplay Royal Challengers Bangalore in all departments to register a comfortable nine-wicket win 🟣🟡
#KKR #RCB #KKRvRCB #IPL2021 https://t.co/qQ5f4Byihu
Speaking at the post-match presentation ceremony, Kohli admitted that RCB lacked good partnerships, which made the difference between the two sides. Kohli said:
"It was important to get a good partnership. We didn't expect that much dew to kick in that early. From 42 for 1, we lost 5 wickets for 20-odd."
RCB will now have to pull up their socks as IPL 2021 enters the business end of the season. Virat Kohli admitted the game was wake-up call for the entire team as they chased their maiden IPL trophy and said:
"It was a bit of a wake-up call, might as well have this at the start of the second leg so that we know what we should work on. You can make the argument that we were rusty but as professionals, you're expected to turn up and adjust. Sometimes it can take you a game, I hope not two, to get into the tournament, you have to stay with the eight-ball, if you're not, the other teams will be all over you."
The Royal Challengers are currently third in the points table with 10 points from eight games and a net run-rate of -0.706.
"Pretty good from Varun" - Virat Kohli lauds KKR spinner
"Hey Alexa! Play Varun Chakaravarthy"
Alexa: "Varun Chakaravarthy is currently unplayable!"
RCB - 68/7 (14)
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Varun Chakravarthy, who was handed over the new ball by KKR captain Eoin Morgan, responded well to the situation. He returned with figures of 3/13 from his four overs, including the wickets of Glenn Maxwell, Sachin Baby and Wanindu Hasaranga.
Virat Kohli heaped praise on the spinner, saying it is a great sign for Indian cricket. Chakravarthy will don the Indian jersey in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in the UAE and Oman. He said:
"Pretty good from Varun, he's going to be a key factor when he plays for India. It's great guys who've got the opportunity to play at the international level. He's someone who is going to play in the near future for India, it's a great sign."
RCB will next face the Chennai Super Kings on September 24 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.