"He played selflessly" - Ambati Rayudu on Virat Kohli's 113* in RR vs RCB match of IPL 2024
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) opener Virat Kohli was criticized by certain fans for his 67-ball century in the IPL 2024 clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday, April 6.
Kohli remained unbeaten on 113 off 72 balls, finishing with a strike rate of 156.94. However, his ton was the joint-slowest century in the league's history.
Speaking about the star batter's knock, former cricketer Ambati Rayudu stated that Kohli played according to the team's needs. He suggested that the 35-year-old could have tried hitting boundaries to improve his strike rate, but there was a risk of him losing his wicket, which would have put RCB under immense pressure.
Hailing Kohli's effort against Rajasthan as one of his best IPL knocks, Rayudu told Star Sports:
"For me, it is one of the finest hundreds of his career. He played selflessly; he played for the team. He could have gotten out while trying to score fours and sixes, but he did what the team needed."
Virat Kohli was the lone warrior for Bengaluru. His eighth IPL century helped RCB finish at 183/3 in 20 overs. However, his hundred went in vain as RR completed a six-wicket win courtesy of Jos Buttler's 100* off 58 balls.
"They are not simply contributing" - Ambati Rayudu on how Virat Kohli hasn't received much support from remaining RCB batters in IPL 2024
Virat Kohli has been in stunning form this season. With 316 runs from five innings, he is currently the Orange Cap holder in IPL 2024. However, the rest of the RCB batters have failed to make a significant impact.
Ambati Rayudu opined that the other batters need to come up with improved performances and support the in-from Kohli. He also reckoned that RCB erred tactically by not promoting Dinesh Karthik higher up the order against RR.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added:
"The problem is not Virat’s strike rate but the performance of the remaining batters. They are not simply contributing. What was Dinesh Karthik doing in the dugout? He should have come before Maxwell and Green. Mahipal Lomror, who played a crucial role in their only win, is not even a part of the Playing XI."
RCB slumped to their fourth loss of IPL 2024. They have just a solitary win to their name from five games and are in the eighth spot on the points table.