Right ahead of the crunch IPL 2024 clash between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Virat Kohli once again addressed his strike rate debate. Batting great Sunil Gavaskar criticised Virat Kohli's recent performance, particularly his strike rate. In a fiery response, Kohli, now batting as an opener for RCB, declared he doesn't need outside validation for his abilities. This adds to the ongoing debate about Kohli's role in the T20 format, with some questioning his place in the upcoming World Cup.
Despite a strong performance against Gujarat Titans where he scored an impressive 70 in which he garnered 61 runs against spinner at a strike rate of 179, the criticism of Kohli's strike rate continued earlier this season. Kohli then made a forceful statement, shutting down his critics. This apparently angered Sunil Gavaskar, who publicly criticised Kohli on live television. Now, facing a crucial IPL match that determines RCB's playoff chances, Kohli, in a JioCinema interview, reiterated his focus by stating he ignores outside negativity and trusts his abilities.
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“I don’t need to react to any external noise. I know what I can do on the ground. I don’t need to tell anyone what kind of player I am or what my ability is. I’ve never asked anyone how to win a match. I’ve learnt this by figuring it out myself in the middle of the ground by failing from experience. It’s not a by-chance thing when you’re repeatedly winning matches for the team. For someone to see and analyse a moment and for another player to experience that moment in the middle are two completely different things. I have never felt that I should go and tell someone not to say certain things about me. I know what I can do out there," Kohli said.
In a pointed remark, Kohli suggested that, like his father taught him, he doesn't crave the validation of critics
"I don’t need anyone’s approval, or assurance that I played well. I don’t need these things. I have learnt this from my father very early on. I could have played the state very early in my career through other means, but my father said only if you’re capable you will make it. Performance is my only currency,” Kohli added.
Kohli referenced MS Dhoni's approach to the game. Dhoni, Kohli implied, often faced criticism for prioritising finishing matches strong over early aggression. However, Dhoni's belief in his strategy paid off, leading both India and CSK to numerous victories throughout his career.
“People used to say the same about Mahi bhai (Mahendra Singh Dhoni). ‘Why is he taking the game to 20th over or 50th over?’ But how many matches did he finish for India! He’s probably the only person who knows what he’s doing! And he’s finishing the game from there. For me, that’s muscle memory. He knows if he takes the match till the last over, he’ll win the game. My mindset was different. I used to think let’s finish the game in the 49th over (in ODIs) or 19th over (in T20s). If he was batting with me at the end, then the thinking was different. He will take the game into the last over where the opposition team is shivering in fear,” Kohli further added.
Kohli is currently the leading scorer of IPL and holds the Orange Cap with 661 runs in 13 matches with a strike rate of 155.16
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