RCB vs SRH: Sunil Gavaskar slams Virat Kohli. That's not what your team expects from you

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) relied on their spinners, who were considered the team's least-fancied department, to dominate the big-hitting Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Hyderabad.

RCB's 35-run win on Thursday, which was their second victory this season, brought an end to their six-game losing streak and kept their playoff hopes alive

Former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar slammed Virat Kohli for his strike rate during the game between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday (April 25).

The former RCB skipper, despite scoring a half-century, has been under fire for his strike rate. His approach to batting after the powerplay, where he scored 51 runs off 43 balls, has been scrutinised. This is particularly evident compared to his teammate Rajat Patidar, who blazed a 19-ball fifty after the powerplay. Kohli's struggle to find boundaries on a pitch where Patidar thrived has raised concerns.

While he got out in the 15th over, Virat Kohli did not hit a single boundary after the fourth over. At one stage, he batted 23 runs from 11 balls before scoring the last 28 runs off 32 balls. Fortunately, RCB still managed to post 206 runs thanks to Patidar's whirlwind fifty. 

Sunil Gavaskar on Virat Kohli's knock:

Gavaskar's critique of Kohli's performance was scathing. He pointed out that the batting star seemed to lose his touch in the middle overs, and the team did not expect a strike rate of 118 from someone of Kohli's caliber, especially after he managed to bat until the 15th over.

"In the middle, he just seemed to have lost touch. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but I think from 31-32 to the time he got out, he did not hit a boundary. So at the end of the day, when he got out, when you are facing the strike in the first ball of the innings, and you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, you have got strike rate of 118, that's not what your team expects from you," Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports.

Meanwhile, RCB managed to win the game by 35 runs to finally end their losing streak. The win was their second in nine games this season after six losses in a row. Batting first, RCB scored 206/7 in the allotted 20 overs. In reply, SRH finished their innings on 171 for 8.