GT vs RCB: "Virat Kohli dropped to 19 from 25; Rajat Patidar was going crazy.."- Aaron Finch shuts internet fans

Former Australian skipper Aaron Finch defended Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli amid criticism for his knock against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Aaron Finch stated that Virat Kohli was looking to take the game a little bit deeper and allow other batters to score with a high strike rate.

The Faf du Plessis-led team secured a 35-run victory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. However, Virat Kohli was criticized for his slow half-century. The batter scored 32 runs off 18 balls in the first six overs. He managed to add just 19 runs off the next 25 deliveries in the recent match.

The former RCB skipper was dismissed by Jaydev Unadkat after scoring 51 runs off 43 balls. Rajat Patidar smashed four consecutive sixes off Mayank Markande. Patidar reached his half-century off just 19 balls. Cameron Green played a cameo of 37 runs off 20 balls to help the team reach 206 runs in 20 overs.

Virat Kohli Got Off To An Absolute Flyer - Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch pointed out that Virat Kohli started aggressively, but his strike rate slowed down after the powerplay. Finch stated that Kohli wanted to give a strike to Rajat Patidar, who was batting aggressively at the other end.

"I think it is a combination of a few things here. Yes, he got off to an absolute flyer. But after the powerplay, he dropped to 19 from 25. But one thing you have to keep in mind is that Patidar was going crazy at the other end. Sometimes your job as a set batter is to take the game a little bit deeper and get Patidar on strike as much as possible. That's where the intent to hit boundaries goes out," said Finch.

You Can Look At Virat Kohli In Isolation - Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch stated that Virat Kohli's performance might seem isolated, but it was crucial for the partnership with Patidar. He emphasized the importance of considering their partnership rather than focusing solely on Kohli's strike rate.

"You can look at him in isolation and say 'yes it dropped.' But as a partnership, it worked really well. Because the last thing you want when you're on fire is to be stuck at the non-striker's end a lot. He did the right thing by getting Patidar up there," Finch added.

During the run chase, opener Travis Head was dismissed by Will Jacks in the first over. Abhishek Sharma scored 31 runs off 13 balls but failed to convert his start into a big score. Middle-order batters Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen were dismissed for a single-digit score in the match.

All-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed scored an unbeaten 40 runs. Karn Sharma was the standout bowler for RCB, claiming two wickets for 29 runs in his four-over quota. Swapnil Singh picked up the two crucial wickets in his first over, including Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen.