'I keep getting 2016 flashbacks' - Tom Moody warns all teams of Virat Kohli ahead of IPL 2024

Former Australian all-rounder Tom Moody expressed his desire to see Virat Kohli assert himself more during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Tom Moody emphasized Virat Kohli’s ability to dominate the game, referencing his stellar performance in the 2016 season.

The 17th edition of the tournament will kick off with a match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Chennai on Friday, March 22. Virat Kohli will make his return to action after his absence from the Test series against England.

Like To See Virat Kohli Take The Game On And Boss The Game – Tom Moody

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Tom Moody urged Virat Kohli to adopt a more aggressive approach akin to his outstanding 2016 season. Moody expressed hope that Kohli would assert his authority and excel in the upcoming tournament.

“Would like to see him take the game on and boss the game because he has got the game, he has got more than the game as one of the greats. When he does that, he looks unstoppable. I keep getting flashbacks of 2016 when he had a bumper year and you just couldn’t bowl to him. No one was looking at the strike rate then because he was just controlling the game and no one could bowl to him at that point,” said Moody.

“With the Impact Sub now in play and the reinforcements RCB have got with their batting, would love to see Virat go out there and boss the game. He can do it because you are not asking someone to do something they are not capable of doing. He can do it and just tear this tournament apart,” he added.

Despite Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) not making it to the playoffs, Kohli had an exceptional season in 2023. The batter scored 639 runs in 14 matches with an average exceeding 53 and a strike rate nearing 140, including two centuries and six half-centuries.

The Delhi-born cricketer holds the record for the most runs scored in a single season. The 35-year-old amassed 973 runs with an exceptional average of over 81 and an impressive strike rate of 152, including four centuries and seven half-centuries, during the IPL 2016.

He stands as the IPL’s highest run scorer, scoring 7,263 runs in 237 matches, including seven centuries. Kohli’s exceptional record includes holding the most centuries in IPL history, a total of seven. He is the only batter in the IPL to score more than 7,000 runs.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru Struggled Against Chennai Super Kings In IPL

Despite Kohli’s impressive statistics, RCB has not clinched the IPL championship. The Faf du Plessis-led team faces a challenging task in their season opener against CSK, particularly as they have never defeated the five-time champions in Chennai since 2008.

The presence of Glenn Maxwell, Faf du Plessis, Cameron Green, and Rajat Patidar strengthens RCB’s batting lineup. Du Plessis emerged as the second-highest run-scorer in IPL 2023, amassing 730 runs, while Maxwell added 400 runs at an impressive strike rate of 183.49.

Also read: Virat Kohli on the verge of making history; needs 6 runs to become the first Indian to reach a massive milestone