GT vs RCB: "His last boundary came off the third ball of the sixth over" - Aakash Chopra critical of Virat Kohli's slow fifty

Aakash Chopra shared his opinion on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli's struggles in the 41st match in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. Aakash Chopra said that Virat Kohli failed to score a boundary in eight overs after the powerplay against the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH).

The Bengaluru-based team registered their second victory of the IPL 2024 season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The visiting team defeated Hyderabad by 35 runs in the recent match. However, Virat Kohli came under fire as cricket experts questioned his strike rate.

Virat Kohli Slowed Down After That - Aakash Chopra

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted the difference in Virat Kohli's approach during and after the powerplay. Chopra stated that Kohli didn't hit a boundary in the eight overs after the powerplay.

"Virat Kohli was very, very aggressive in the powerplay but slowed down after that. He probably scored only 19 runs off the last 25 balls he faced. He got out probably in the 14th or 15th over but his last boundary came off the third ball of the sixth over. Not even a single boundary came from his bat in the eight-odd overs after the powerplay," Chopra said.

Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis provided a flying start to the team after winning the toss. The batting duo added 48 runs in 3.5 overs. Faf scored 25 runs off 12 balls before being dismissed by T Natarajan. Kohli scored 32 runs off the first 18 balls as the RCB team ended the powerplay with 61/1.

Virat Kohli Tried A Little But Couldn't Hit - Aakash Chopra

The cricketer-turned-commentator commended Rajat Patidar for maintaining RCB's momentum during the middle overs. Chopra stated that Cameron Green's contribution further boosted their innings towards crossing the 200-run mark.

"He tried a little but couldn't hit. When he was going slow, Rajat Patidar managed the party. 27 runs were scored in an over from Mayank Markande. He hit four sixes. He took the team to a position from where they would go past 200 with a slight push. That push was given by Cameron Green," Chopra added.

Rajat Patidar scored a quick-fire half-century in just 19 balls, including two fours and five sixes. However, Patidar was dismissed after reaching the milestone. Cameron Green scored an unbeaten 37 runs from 20 deliveries as the RCB team posted a challenging total of 206/7 in 20 overs.

Virat Kohli Played The Powerplay Brilliantly - Harbhajan Singh

Speaking on Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh raised concerns about Virat Kohli's performance after the powerplay. Harbhajan noted that Kohli's strike rate could have been slightly better, highlighting his slow batting after the powerplay.

"He played the powerplay brilliantly because the field was in and you get the gaps as well. When the field opens up, I am not saying that you need to convert every ball into a four but the strike rate could have been slightly better because he scored 20 runs in 27 balls," Harbhajan said.

Virat Kohli will be next seen in action when the Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Gujarat Titans (GT) at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, April 28. The Faf du Plessis-led team will be eliminated if they lose their next match.

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