One of the great batters in the world cricket Virat Kohli is going through a lean patch and it has been a long wait for the 33-year-old's hundred already. The former Indian and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper last scored a century way back in 2019.
It was the first time that Kohli scored three golden ducks in the same IPL season and with just two half centuries, he could manage to score just 341 runs in 16 encounters for RCB in 2022's season. Although his side were quite close to reaching the final but crashed in the Qualifier 2 to Rajasthan Royals and a lot of questions were raised on his form and impact on the side.
Meanwhile Gujarat Titans' star all-rounder Rashid Khan is pretty confident of Kohli's form return.
In an exclusive conversation with Sports Tak, the leg spinner said that Kohli’s century will come soon.
“Inshallah Virat Kohli’s Century will come very soon. We are so much waiting for his hundred and hopefully very soon.”, Rashid told Sports Tak.
Rashid also recalled a small meeting he had with Kohli during a practice session in IPL 2022. “That day when we (me & Virat Kohli) met in the practice sessions, Virat batted so long in the Nets, Virat Kohli was saying, ‘that good inning will come, my job is to work hard and prepare hard’ “, Rashid said.
What was GT's winning formula this year?
"I want to give all the credit here to the leadership and the franchise. Together they created such an atmosphere that no player felt that he was playing with Gujarat Titans for the first time. Ashish Nehra too helped us and gave us a lot of positivity. He told everyone what needs to be done in IPL 2022 in order to excel. No one was worried about what would happen if they lost. T20 is a format where you have to play freely. This was the reason why we are at the top right now," Rashid said.
How did you excel in batting?
"Over the years I have gained confidence. I thought I could do amazing in batting. Nehra Bhai had said that you have come here not only as a bowler but also an all-rounder. I got a lot of confidence through it. All the coaches kept in touch with me and instilled confidence in me which really boosted my batting and that is the reason why I could bat well," he added.
What changed in Hardik Pandya?
"The last two years have not been good for Hardik Pandya. And coming from that mindset and leading the team forward is a big deal but he played his role well. Hardik never gives up, he always tries. work hard. Be it bowling or batting, he wants to give his best. You get a lot of confidence when you have such a leader around. I really enjoyed playing with him. We got the leader we needed. Not only on the field, Hardik takes everyone out together as well," Rashid concluded.
