"Virat Kohli scored 980 plus in IPL then went straight to West Indies"- Vikram Rathour's disclosure

Former Team India batting coach Vikram Rathour recently heaped praise on star batter Virat Kohli for his adaptability with the bat across formats. Vikram Rathour highlighted that Kohli seamlessly transitioned to Test cricket after having a record-breaking Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2016.

Virat Kohli still holds the record for most runs in a single edition of the Indian Premier League. The right-handed batter scored 973 runs in 16 matches at an outstanding average of 81.08 and a strike rate of 152.03, including four centuries and seven fifties. He smashed 83 fours and 38 sixes during IPL 2016.

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) failed to secure the title in 2016 despite Kohli's outstanding season with the bat. The team lost to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the final of the tournament. Kohli scored 54 runs off 35 balls in the summit clash while chasing a target of 209 runs against Hyderabad.

Virat Kohli Scored Double Hundred Without Playing A Single Shot In Air - Vikram Rathore

Speaking on the 'Find a Way with Taruwar Kohli' show, Vikram Rathore said that Virat Kohli scored nearly 1,000 runs at a high strike rate. Rathore emphasized that Kohli adjusted his game to different formats and added that the batter scored a double century without playing a single aerial shot.

"Kohli scored 980 something, hit 40+ Sixes & 160 Strike rate in IPL. Immediately after that he went to West Indies & scored double hundred in first Test without playing a single shot in air. That's the biggest Quality Kohli has, his adaptability," Vikram Rathore said.

The 35-year-old scored his first double-hundred against the West Indies in 2016. Kohli scored 200 runs off 283 balls in the first innings of the series opener. He smashed 24 boundaries during the knock. He went on to become the first batsman to score four double centuries in consecutive Test series.

Virat Kohli Rested For Duleep Trophy 2024 Season

Virat Kohli hasn't been included in the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2024, which is scheduled to begin on September 5. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) directed all players to participate in the domestic red-ball tournament, except Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravichandran Ashwin.

The 35-year-old batter will be next seen in action during the upcoming two-match Test series against Bangladesh at home. Team India will take on Bangladesh in the first Test in Chennai, starting on September 19. India will conclude the series with the second Test match in Kanpur from September 27 to October 1.

The upcoming Test series is part of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 cycle. Team India is currently at the top of the standings in the World Test Championship. They will be hoping to clean sweep the series to cement their place at the top and secure a spot in the final at Lord's in 2025.

Also read: "Match haar jayenge" – Kohli shares how Sourav Ganguly's team feared facing Vikram Rathour