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Cricket Players'I don't care who the spinner is, he is making it big': Shastri offers tips to Kohli on facing Chahal in RR vs RCB game
This will be the first time that Chahal will be up against RCB, the franchise where he played for eight IPL seasons, making 113 appearances.
The biggest talking point heading into match 13 of the 15th season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) where Royal Challengers Bangalore will be up against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is the contest between former RCB captain Virat Kohli and his old teammate Yuzvendra Chahal, who was roped in by the Royals the mega auction in February this year. And ahead of the contest, former India head coach Ravi Shastri offered some key tips to Kohli on how to tackle Chahal.
The last time the two faced each other in a T20 contest was back in 2011 when Chahal used to play for Mumbai Indians, however, the match was not part of IPL, but was in the presently-defunct Champions League T20. In six deliveries against Chahal, Kohli managed five runs which included a boundary.
However, it is bound to offer good contest given that Kohli has a strike rate of 120.5 against right-arm leg-spinners in IPL since 2019, which is the second-least he has recorded against any bowling variety. He has also been dismissed four times by leg-spinners during the phase.
IPL 2022, RR vs RCB Live Cricket Score
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo on the battle, Shastri advised Kohli to use the paddle sweep against Chahal, a shot that he seldom uses in his game. The former India all-rounder feels that Kohli needs to develop this aspect of the game to handle spinners who have bothered him in T20 cricket.
"I think he should just play his game. I like the way he played in the first game where he used his feet and was prepared to rock back and look busy. What you want from Virat is to look busy. If you can't hit the big ones then make sure you are rotating the strike and making the bowlers think. He will play his natural game, there is no doubt about that. But it will be a good contest - a good batsman against a very good spinner. He can, definitely (on using the paddle sweep). He has to. That is the part of the game that he will look to work on because opposition sides know the moment he comes on that he doesn't sweep. When you know that the field placings can be done excatly that way. Once he starts sweeping, I don't care who the spinner is, you are making it big," he said.
This will be the first time that Chahal will be up against RCB, the franchise where he played for eight IPL seasons, making 113 appearances.
Speaking to Times of India in a recent interview, Chahal, who was picked for INR 6.5 crore by the Royals, revealed the conversation he had with Kohli after he was not retained by RCB.
“Not much. He (Virat Kohli) congratulated me and said ‘Royal toh hain hi tu,’” Chahal said.
