Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star and ex-India cricketer Mohammad Kaif slammed Virat Kohli for his poor shot selection during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 clash against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Kaif said that the shot that Kohli hit was very unlikely for him and would have suited the situation if the match had been reduced to six overs, but with 14 overs in hand, Kohli should have taken it slowly before going for the big shots. Kohli managed to score just one run off three balls before getting dismissed by Arshdeep Singh in his second over.
Kaif believes that Kohli could take some time to settle down and understand the conditions before playing aggressive cricket.
“84 deliveries in an innings means that there is time. The shot that Virat Kohli hit, stepping forward, trying to strike a six, he usually does not do all of this. If it were a 20-over game, Kohli would have looked to punch that ball, I can tell you that with guarantee," Kaif said while speaking on Star Sports.
“That was a ball meant to be punched through the point. But because it was a 14-over game, there was the temptation to play a much more attacking brand of cricket. The pitch was damp, the ball was stopping a bit," Kaif said.
“Not only Kohli, but the other batters as well. So, he should have spent some time in the middle, 14 overs is a lot, he must have thought it was a six-over game," Kaif added.
RCB lost their last IPL clash against PBKS, and that was their third loss in Bengaluru. The Bengaluru-based franchise has yet to win an IPL match at Chinnaswamy in the ongoing edition of the tournament.