Virat Kohli Gets Through the Trial By Spin

Chasing 201, Virat Kohli walked out after getting a lot of flak for his 43 ball 51 in the previous game. It was innings off two halves the other night, with Virat Kohli blazing away against pace only to struggle and get stuck against spin. In the next game, Azmatullah Omarzai beat Virat Kohli twice. His strike rate against Pace has been great this season, but here he was, showing a glimpse of pressure against Pace.

Ahmedabad was holding a touch, and Gujarat’s arsenal of spinners was meant to challenge Virat Kohli in particular. With wrist spinners and a left-arm spinner in the opposition, he had his challenges cut out.

The volume of the target, though, probably had Kohli change his approach a touch. Will Jacks was also struggling at the other end before his own blitz. While Jacks failed to get the ball away, Kohli took it upon himself to keep up with the required rate and brought out the sweep, a shot he does not use too often.

He played six sweeps in total and was pretty expressive when he got his 50 as well, something that changed with Virat Kohli toning down on his celebrations in recent times. He finished with 61 off 34 balls against spin, going at a strike-rate close to 180.

Over the last four years, his approach against spin had critics wondering if Virat Kohli warranted a place in the T20 side. His runs against pace remain really good, but the slowdown against spin kept dragging his game down. Virat Kohli though gave a statement and also hit out at his critics during an interview post-game.

He went past 500 for the season again, highlighting his consistency in the IPL while extending his lead with the orange cap. With 2 wins in a row, RCB is also looking a little more confident. They still have a huge mountain to climb and the next round looks like a miraculous destination. However, Virat Kohli’s intent and contributions from those around him kept the side happy. Overall, Virat Kohli came out with a statement proving that he can also take on spin when needed.