Unlike in 2024, the current season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has focused less on powerful hitting and more on adaptability. An instance of this was observed on Sunday evening at the Arun Jaitley Stadium when the Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced a challenging chase against Delhi Capitals, where they were assigned a target of 163. Nonetheless, a masterclass from Virat Kohli, who crafted a well-composed half-century, his sixth of the season, enabled RCB to navigate the sluggish Delhi pitch and successfully chase down the target with nine balls remaining.

RCB found themselves three wickets down in the fourth over of the chase, having managed only 26 runs. However, Kohli, alongside Krunal Pandya, constructed a pivotal 119-run partnership, assisting RCB in rising to the top of the points table. The 36-year-old struck merely four boundaries and encountered only 10 dot balls, as his 47-ball innings exemplified the typical Kohli approach of maintaining the flow of runs through singles and doubles.

Following the innings, in a pointed remark directed towards critics concerning the ongoing strike rate discourse, Kohli emphasized the significance of "stitching a partnership and taking it deep," particularly under challenging conditions.

“The total on the board. What the conditions are like. Who are the bowlers that are due to bowl. Who are the bowlers that are going to be hard to get away,” Kohli identified as the elements he considers while pursuing a target. “Thus, I strive to ensure that my singles and doubles do not cease. And then you continue to accumulate the occasional boundary. The game never becomes stagnant. Therefore, that has always been my focus to continually work on rotating strikes, singles, and doubles.

“I believe people are overlooking the importance of forming a partnership or progressing deep into the innings in T20 cricket,” Kohli conveyed to the host broadcaster. “And I think this year, it is evident that one cannot simply come out and begin to tee off from ball one. Professionalism is essential; one must assess the situation and strive to reach a point where it is possible to dominate the bowlers.

“And for that, it is necessary to forge a partnership. It will not be easy on a slow pitch if one lacks the ability to rotate the strike. So, indeed, that is essentially my method.

“I analyze the conditions, comprehend what the score on the board is, understand the demands of the situation, and possess the skills to continuously rotate the strike and avoid being stagnant at one end. ”

What went down between Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar?

Kohli's remarks to the broadcasters on Sunday arrived exactly one year after his exchange with former India captain Sunil Gavaskar.

During a match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Gavaskar expressed his criticism of Kohli's strike rate on-air. He was irritated by the former RCB captain’s unwillingness to take risks despite having powerful hitters in the team.

After an outstanding performance a few days later in the match against Gujarat Titans, Kohli remarked that playing in the field and discussing the 'game from a box' are two different things. He stated, "I am not quite sure if you’ve been in that situation yourself to sit and speak about the game from a box. I don’t really think it’s the same thing [as playing out there]. So for me, it’s just about doing my job. People can talk about their own ideas and assumptions of the game, but those who have done it day in [and] day out know what’s happening, and it’s kind of a muscle memory for me now. "

Gavaskar responded by asserting that commentators have no personal interest in targeting players and mentioned that he made his remark simply by observing Kohli's strike rate of just 118.

He mentioned, "If your strike rate is 118, you step up to face the first ball, get out in the 14th or 15th over, and still have a strike rate of 118 – if you're looking for applause for that, well, that's a different story."

We've all dabbled in cricket, not extensively, but we talk about what we observe. We don't really have strong opinions either way. Even if we do, we focus on what's going on. So, I'd be really let down if Star Sports aired this again because it would make us commentators look bad.

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