[Watch] Virat Kohli thanks the Hyderabad crowd for their support during SRH vs RCB match of IPL 2024
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) star opener Virat Kohli thanked the crowd at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium during the team's IPL 2024 clash against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Thursday, April 25.
A video has gone viral on social media, in which Kohli can be seen appreciating the Hyderabad crowd for their support while taking his fielding position near the fence. You can watch the clip below:
Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar hit half-centuries for RCB in the contest, scoring 51 and 50, respectively, as the side registered 206/7 after electing to bar first. In response, SRH managed only 171/8 in 20 overs.
Bengaluru ended their losing streak with a crucial 35-run victory. With two wins from nine games, they continue to languish at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table.
"It is a combination of a few things here" - Aaron Finch defends Virat Kohli's strike rate in SRH vs RCB clash
RCB opener Virat Kohli's scoring rate saw a huge dip following the powerplay. The seasoned campaigner finished with 51 off 43 at a strike rate of 118.60.
Speaking about the former RCB skipper's strike rate, former Australian captain Aaron Finch opined that Kohli did the right thing by giving most of the strike to Rajat Patidar, who accumulated quick runs for the team.
Here's what Finch said on Star Sports about Kohli's approach:
"I think it is a combination of a few things here. Yes, he got off to an absolute flyer. But after the powerplay, he dropped to 19 from 25. But one thing you have to keep in mind is that Patidar was going crazy at the other end. Sometimes your job as a set batter is to take the game a little bit deeper and get Patidar on strike as much as possible. That's where the intent to hit boundaries goes out."
"You can look at him in isolation and say, 'Yes, it dropped'. But as a partnership, it worked really well. Because the last thing you want when you're on fire is to be stuck at the non-striker's end a lot. He did the right thing by getting Patidar up there," Finch added
It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli is the leading run-getter in IPL 2024, amassing 430 runs across nine innings at a strike rate of 145.76.