"You cannot travel to USA without Virat Kohli, get the tickets and visa"- Fans react after Kohli's 77 in RCB vs PBKS IPL 2024 clashÂ
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli played a magnificent knock of 77 (49) on a tricky surface against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2024 on Monday (March 25). On the back of his performance, RCB won the match by four wickets to open their account this season.
PBKS made a decent total of 176/6 in the first innings after being asked to bat first. Multiple batters started well for PBKS but could not make it count. Shikhar Dhawan 45 (37) was the top-scorer for them.
Virat Kohli then kept RCB in the hunt during the chase with a responsible knock while his partners kept struggling at the other end. He began aggressively in the powerplay and then tempered down as he adapted to the match situation and conditions.
During his 77-run knock, Kohli became the first Indian batter to score 100 half-centuries in T20 format. However, Virat could not finish the match as he perished in the 16th over while trying to hit a big shot. Things got tense for RCB after that for a couple of overs. However, Dinesh Karthik (28*) and Mahipal Lomror (17*) played blazing knocks under pressure to finish the match in 19.2 overs.
Fans hailed Virat Kohli for setting up the platform for RCB's victory with an impactful knock through their reactions on social media platforms. Here are some of the best reactions:
"I was disappointed I couldn't finish the game"- Virat Kohli
Speaking at the post-match presentation after receiving the Player of the Match award, Virat Kohli reflected on his batting performance and said:
"People talk about a lot of things when you play sports - the achievements, the stats, the numbers, at the end of the day, when you look back, its the memories that you create. Rahul bhai (Dravid) says the exact same thing to us in the dressing room. You're going to miss these times in the dressing room when you play your heart out. The relationship that's happened organically over the years is something I can never forget."
He added:
"Just the love, appreciation and backing I've received. It's amazing. In T20 cricket, I try to give the team a blazing start. You've got to understand the conditions as well. The wicket wasn't as placid as Bangalore is, it is a bit two-paced. I thought I had to play proper cricketing shots, I tried a few across the line. I was disappointed I couldn't finish the game, that ball was in the slot."
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