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Cricket Players'Lot of people think my T20 cricket is declining...': Kohli's bombshell after smashing second-successive century
Virat Kohli didn't mince his words after he smashed his seventh IPL century during RCB's game against Gujarat Titans on Sunday night.
Royal Challengers Bangalore suffered a heartbreak in their final league match of the 2023 Indian Premier League on Sunday night, as the side faced a six-wicket loss in the must-win match for a playoff qualification. Royal Challengers only required a win – no matter the Net Run Rate – but failed to defeat the top-placed Titans despite Virat Kohli smashing a century, as Shubman Gill crushed the hosts' hopes in Bengaluru with an unbeaten 104. The Titans chased down a 198-run target with five balls to spare, and will now meet MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier on Tuesday.
Kohli produced one of his finest IPL knocks on Sunday night, steering the side almost single-handedly on a tricky surface; the persistent rain had made the conditions tricky for the batters. Even as the Royal Challengers endured consistent setbacks with Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, and Mahipal Lomror departing in quick succession, Kohli held one end firm; he scored his second-successive IPL ton in 60 balls and remained unbeaten on 101.
Also read: Watch: Anushka Sharma blows multiple kisses, Hardik’s incredible gesture after Kohli smashes back-to-back IPL centuries
In the mid-match interview, Kohli gave a strong reply to his critics who had been significantly vocal over his strike rate issues for a majority of the season. The 34-year-old batter had been drawing eyeballs for his slow starts in select matches for the RCB.
“I felt great. Lot of people think that my T20 cricket is declining, I don't feel like that at all. I think I am playing my best T20 cricket again,” Kohli said.
“I'm just enjoying myself. This is how I play T20 cricket, I look to hit gaps, hit a lot of boundaries and then the big ones towards the end if the situation allows me to. You have to read situations and rise up to the occasion when the situation demands. I feel really good with my game at the moment and how I'm batting,” the batter further said.
Kohli's innings, proved futile for the RCB as Shubman Gill's terrific knock earned Titans their tenth win of the campaign, as they finished comfortably at the top of the table with 20 points. This is GT's second-successive first-place finish in the league stage.
