Virat Kohli looked more like himself after a sluggish outing against Mumbai Indians, steering Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants in Bengaluru on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 147, Kohli made his intentions clear from the outset, striking six boundaries and one maximum as he finished with 49 off 34 balls. He fell just short of a half-century, but his strike rate of 144.12 underlined a sharp return to rhythm—an improvement on his previous effort versus Mumbai Indians, where he managed 50 off 38 balls at 131.58.
Speaking after the win, Kohli acknowledged he was still not operating at full capacity. The India batter said his knee was sore following the last match and admitted that he had not been feeling well in the days leading up to this game.
- Kohli said his performance was “much better” than the previous match.
- He added that he is not 100 per cent fit, with a sore knee from the earlier outing.
- He also mentioned being unwell for four or five days before the game.
- He explained that he was pleased with his intensity early on, even though he wanted to see the chase through to the end.
On the way the innings unfolded, Kohli reflected on how conditions shaped his approach. He pointed out that the surface had become slower than usual, and with that in mind he aimed to keep the momentum going in a similar manner rather than change gears too aggressively.
- Kohli said the pitch played slower than expected.
- He noted the wicket lacked sufficient grass, contributing to the sluggish nature of the track.
- He linked the change in conditions to the recent spell of intense heat and dryness over the last few days.
- He explained that Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy ground often offers different, tackier characteristics, but this game felt notably different.
- Because of that, he said the plan was to keep the contest away from the opposition during the first five or six overs.
With the match set up on a slower wicket, Kohli emphasized the importance of the opening phase in the chase. He said the powerplay portion of the innings was crucial and that his mindset was to place the team ahead early.
“For those reasons, the powerplay batting was important,” Kohli said, adding that he was happy with the way RCB set the tone. He concluded that his aim was to put the side in front early on, and that his approach helped achieve that in the chase of 147.
