It was more than 1,400 days when Virat Kohli took charge of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. And while Kohli started the day in poor form with the bat, the Indian skipper will take the outcome any day of the week. The result in the end turned out to be an impressive seven-run win for RCB, against last year’s IPL 2022 runner-up Rajasthan Royals.
Standin RCB skipper Virat Kohli, following the victory, credited Glenn Maxwell (57 off 41), former CSK skipper du Plessis and pacer Mohammed Siraj. “We talked about this during the toss.” The field looked dry, and I told the guys they would have to play for 10 overs under the lights, which is hard here. The good thing was that the ball got dirty. But games are always played thanks to the impact player rule and the extra hitter. “That’s why so many games have been close,” Kohli said at the presentation after the game.
“Maxi (Glenn Maxwell) and Faf (du Plessis) were even better on the counterattack than they were in Chennai because the field was better that day.” In just four overs, Maxi won the game. “We thought 160 might be enough, but the way they batted helped us get to 190,” he said.
The best bowling I’ve ever seen from Mohammed Siraj: Kohli, Virat
Kohli said that Siraj deserved to wear the Purple Cap because he got Jos Buttler out after just two balls. “In the past, he (Siraj) got Jos Buttler out, and he’s playing as well as I’ve ever seen.” He shows he is serious and has faith by running in with the new ball. This is why he has the Purple Cap. Kohli said, “He’s leading the attack, and I hope Josh Hazlewood comes in for the next game.”
“10s, 12s, and 13s in an over can get on this ground.” It’s all about getting momentum. Usually, Hetty does this for us, but he had a bad day, so one shot here and there does the trick. “The thought keeps changing, and we decide when a wicket falls,” Samson said.
