"Virat Kohli left runs.."- Former Mumbai all-rounder's sensational verdict

Former New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan backed Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli amid criticism over his strike rate. Mitchell McClenaghan stated that apart from Virat Kohli, no other RCB batter has been scoring consistently in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru endured a 6-wicket defeat against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL 2024 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on Saturday, April 6. This loss marks RCB's fourth defeat in five matches, positioning them third from the bottom among the 10 teams in the points table.

Virat Kohli faced criticism for registering the joint-slowest hundred in the history of the tournament. The right-handed batter reached the milestone in 67 balls, matching Manish Pandey's unwanted record. He scored an unbeaten 113 runs off 72 balls, with the help of 12 boundaries and four sixes.

Virat Kohli's Hundred Was Probably An 8.5 Out Of 10 - Mitchell McClenaghan

Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Mitchell McClenaghan rated Virat Kohli's century at 8.5 out of 10. McClenaghan highlighted that Kohli had to manage his innings due to the lack of support from his teammates at the other end. He noted that Kohli left a few runs on the table towards the end.

"I'm going to say Kohli's hundred was probably an 8.5 out of ten. Left a few runs out at the end, but had to manage this innings because of the guys at the other end not doing their job," Mitchell McClenaghan told ESPNCricinfo.

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis added a formidable 125 runs stand for the first after being asked to bat first. Faf du Plessis was dismissed by Yuzvendra Chahal after scoring 44 runs in 33 deliveries. However, Glenn Maxwell (1), Saurav Chauhan (9), and Cameron Green (5) couldn't capitalize on the solid start.

The Bengaluru team seemed poised to surpass the 200-run mark but concluded at 183 runs for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Virat Kohli slowed down before reaching his century, taking 10 balls to go from 87 to 100. Nandre Burger conceded just four runs in the penultimate over.

One Of Us Had To Bat Till The End - Virat Kohli

In the mid-match show, Virat Kohli emphasized the need to maintain unpredictability in his batting approach and adaptability to the challenging conditions. Kohli highlighted the necessity of staying till the end, especially after Faf du Plessis' dismissal.

"I feel this total is effective on this pitch. I am not coming in with any premeditation. I knew I couldn't got over aggressive, just that I had to keep the bowlers guessing. It's just experience and maturity of playing the conditions. Even if there's dew, the surface is rough and dry, won't be easy for the batters," Kohli said.

"The wicket looks quite different from the outside. It feels like it's flat, but the ball is holding up in the pitch, that's when you realize the pace changes it. One of us (Virat or Faf) had to bat till the end. I couldn't get under the ball against Ashwin. Couldn't slog towards mid-wicket, so had to target straight down the ground."

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