'Virat Kohli made a mistake' - Virender Sehwag slams RCB batter for joint-slowest IPL hundred vs RR

Renowned Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag criticized Virat Kohli's slow batting performance during the 19th match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Virender Sehwag stated that Virat Kohli failed to accelerate his strike rate even after reaching the half-century milestone.

Virat Kohli emerged as the standout performer in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batting lineup during their recent match against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) at Jaipur on Saturday, April 6. He became the first centurion in the ongoing season, reaching the milestone off 67 deliveries.

Virat Kohli faced criticism for his slow-paced innings, marking the joint slowest century in IPL history. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru ended with 183 runs for the loss of three wickets in 20 overs. Social media buzzed with discussions about Kohli's relatively sluggish batting pace.

Virat Kohli's Knock Was Great - Virender Sehwag

Speaking to Cricbuzz during the mid-innings break, Virender Sehwag stated that the RCB team was short by about 20 runs. He pointed out Virat Kohli's failure to accelerate his strike rate after reaching fifty.

“I felt RCB scored about 20 runs less. About Virat Kohli, his knock was great, but there was nobody to support him. Karthik did not come...so there were no big hitters to accompany him and those who came did not to work. Yes Kohli's strike rate should have definitely increased because when you score 50 in 39 balls, then you tend to score at a quicker rate thereafter. The strike rate automatically then almost touches 200. He made a mistake there for sure,” Sehwag said.

RCB enjoyed their finest start of the IPL season, with Kohli and Du Plessis forming a formidable opening pair. The duo added a 53-run partnership within the powerplay. Kohli reached his half-century off 39 balls but took just 28 to reach the triple-digit mark against the Royals.

Rest Of The Batters Did Not Do Any Thing - Virender Sehwag

Virender Sehwag underscored the pressure on Kohli during his innings due to the absence of support from other batters. The former Indian opener emphasized that Kohli had to carry the burden alone, despite significant investments in Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green.

“But then rest of the batters did not do anything. The entire pressure was on Kohli. Moreover, it is his role to hold one end of the crease and allow batters to on the other end to flourish, on whom RCB spent so much to acquire them - Maxwell, Green,” Sehwag added.

Kohli spearheaded RCB's batting, contributing 62% of the total runs, while the rest of the batters only managed 59 runs from 48 balls. Faf du Plessis scored 44 runs off 33 balls, including two fours and as many sixes, but Glenn Maxwell (1), Saurav Chauhan (9), and Cameron Green (5) failed to make an impact.

Kohli and Du Plessis formed a 125-run opening partnership, but RCB lost wickets quickly thereafter. Despite Kohli's impressive innings of 113 runs off 72 balls, which included 12 fours and four sixes, RR managed to secure a 6-wicket win against RCB in the IPL 2024 clash.