Virat Kohli is known for his aggressive approach on the field, whether he is batting or intimidating opponent batter by few words or his body language. In the 2020 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), Mumbai Indians (MI) star batter Suryakumar Yadav was on the receiving end of one such encounter.
During the Breakfast with Champions show, Suryakumar recalled his match-winning knock against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Then-RCB skipper Kohli was trying to intimidate Suryakumar as his wicket was crucial for the win. However, the attacking batter did not lose his cool and played till the end.
“That’s his style. His energy level on the ground is always different. And that game was extremely important for both teams so Virat’s sledging was on another level in that match. I was focused on myself, like ‘boss, you cannot lose focus and have to win the match at any cost’. The ball went to him and he made that action from there and it was very instinctive,” the 31-year-old said.
Surya tried to remain calm during the whole episode. Batting at no.3, he scored an unbeaten 79 off 43 deliveries to help MI chase down the 165-run target with five balls to spare. He single-handedly carried the run chase on his back as Saurabh Tiwary and Pandya brothers played ordinary knocks.
“I remember I was chewing gum and inside my heartbeat is racing knowing that he is walking at me. He isn’t saying anything, I wasn’t saying anything. I was saying to myself ‘no matter what happens, do not say a word. It’s a matter of 10 seconds. After this a new over will begin. This won’t last long’. So the situation passed. I then saw him right after the match,” the Mumbai-born batter added.
Surya has been in splendid form this season after missing a few games due to injury. He has scored 200 runs from four games including two half-centuries. He has been one of the few positives for struggling MI, who are yet to win their first game. The Rohit Sharma-led side are currently at the bottom of the points table with six losses in a row.
