'If I get to the level I really want to play at...': Virat Kohli's glaring message for RCB fans ahead of IPL 2023
Virat Kohli, the former RCB captain, will be aiming at a strong return for the franchise after a forgettable 2022 season, where he only registered one 50+ score.
After a superb run for Team India across all formats over the past few months, Virat Kohli will return to the Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League. Kohli, the former captain of the franchise, had endured a difficult patch in the last season of the league, registering only one fifty-plus score in 15 appearances in the league. Following another disappointing batting outing in England, Kohli had taken a break from the game, and made a solid return to form in the Asia Cup in September later in the year.
Since then, Kohli not only ended his three-year long century drought, but added five 100+ scores to his name, reaching to 75 international centuries. In addition, the India star put out one of the best performances in a T20I during the T20 World Cup group game against Pakistan, as he remained unbeaten on 82 off 53 deliveries to steer India to a famous win. Kohli bailed India out of a tricky spot as the side was reeling at 31/4 in the 160-run chase; the India star famously hit Haris Rauf for two successive sixes when they needed 28 runs to win off 8 deliveries.
Ahead of the new edition of the league, Kohli looks in brilliant touch but the former RCB captain has insisted that there's scope for improvement.
“It was just about rediscovering the love for the game. That could happen when I stepped away from what was happening on the field for so long. I was trying to find ways when I was exhausted. I needed to connect myself as a human first, not judge myself constantly or keep myself under the scrutiny all the time. Staying away from the game helped me. That helped me rediscover the excitement and love for the game. When I came back, everything was an opportunity, nothing was pressure,” Kohli told RCB during a chat.
“The results followed. I was able to play well in T20Is, ODIs, and recently in the Test series as well. I'm back to playing the way I do, there's still a lot of room to get to my best, which hopefully happens in the IPL if I get to the level I really want to play. That would help the team,” Kohli further said.
The RCB will begin their IPL 2023 campaign against Mumbai Indians on April 2.