'Virat Kohli's put his absolute heart': Matthew Hayden

Former Australian batter and commentator Matthew Hayden reflected on Royal Challengers Bangaluru’s (RCB) four-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2024 Eliminator at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, May 22.

Hayden stressed that Virat Kohli can’t be blamed for the RCB's heartbreaking loss to RR in the IPL 2024 Eliminator in Ahmedabad. The legendary Australian cricketer praised Kohli’s dedication and impactful game throughout the match.

Matthew Hayden hails Virat Kohli's heroics in IPL 2024

The commentator also hailed the exceptional fielding abilities of Kohli, who was the master behind RCB’s revival this season. In the match, the RCB opener showcased his remarkable fielding skills with a brilliant run out of Royals batter Dhruv Jurel.

Kohli achieved an incredible milestone during his knock of 33 runs and 24 balls against RR, becoming the first player to score 8000 runs in the IPL and Hayden called it a ridiculous achievement while praising the Indian batting master.

Furthermore, Hayden lauded Kohli's competitive spirit, leadership, and consistent performance for RCB in the IPL 2024. The right-handed player seemed to be on a mission the way he was hungry for runs this season, and then his dynamic presence on the field played a key role in RCB making the IPL 2024 Playoffs from the position where they were to be eliminated too early in the tournament.

RCB's loss to RR has nothing to do with Virat Kohli: Matthew Hayden

Matthew Hayden said on Star Sports: “OK, look for on this loss has nothing to do with Kohli. You know, he's put his absolute heart and soul on the line. And even when you think about his fielding effort tonight, that was a brilliant run out of Jurel. So, you know, for me, those numbers are ridiculous. 8000. That's a lot of T20 runs.

I also love that about Virat Kohli. Competitive spirit matters. Have a look at this off-balance, right on the money to Cameron Green and another superb piece of effort. I mean, that's competition. You want someone like him who's a franchise leader, and you want him in your team 100 percent. He just keeps churning out runs. He's actually been better this season.”

Virat Kohli has been amazing with the bat this season, amassing 741 runs in 15 matches at an impressive strike rate of 154. Kohli has frequently led the RCB to win single-handedly in the tournament. The Indian star will next be seen in action for the Men in Blue at the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in 2024.

Kohli will soon head to the USA and the Caribbean with the Indian team for the T20 World Cup 2024, where they will kick off their campaign against Ireland on June 5 in New York. The RCB opener is likely to play as an opener alongside Indian skipper Rohit Sharma in the tournament, given his red-hot form in the IPL 2024, and Yashasvi Jaiswal has not yet fired up with the bat.