NEW DELHI: As Virat Kohli notched up a record-extending 8th Indian Premier League ton on Saturday against Rajasthan Royals, the talasmanic batter after his valiant effort pointed out that he prefers adapting to match conditions and does not have any predetermined strategy.
Kohli scored an unbeaten 72-ball 113, guiding RCB to a solid 183 for 3 against the Roayls in Jaipur.
The ton was his first against the Royals and also maiden at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Kohli hit 12 fours and four sixes on the way to his eighth IPL hundred, upping the ante on a track where Rajasthan Royals spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin proved difficult propositions.
“The wicket looks quite different from the outside. It feels like it’s flat, but the ball is holding up in the pitch, that’s when you realise the pace changes,” Kohli told official broadcasters after RCB innings.
Kohli also defended the strategy of not going after the bowlers from word go.
“One of us (Virat or Faf) had to bat till the end. I feel this total is effective on this pitch. I am not coming in with any premeditation. I knew I couldn’t get over aggressive, just that I had to keep the bowlers guessing. They think I will come hard at them,” Kohli said.
“It’s just experience and maturity of playing the conditions. Even if there’s dew, the surface is rough and dry, won’t be easy for the batters,” he observed.
He felt that hitting Chahal or Ashwin wasn’t an easy task.
“I couldn’t get under the carrom ball against Ashwin. Couldn’t slog towards mid-wicket, so had to target straight down the ground,” said Kohli.
(With inputs from PTI)
Kohli scored an unbeaten 72-ball 113, guiding RCB to a solid 183 for 3 against the Roayls in Jaipur.
The ton was his first against the Royals and also maiden at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.
Kohli hit 12 fours and four sixes on the way to his eighth IPL hundred, upping the ante on a track where Rajasthan Royals spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin proved difficult propositions.
“The wicket looks quite different from the outside. It feels like it’s flat, but the ball is holding up in the pitch, that’s when you realise the pace changes,” Kohli told official broadcasters after RCB innings.
Kohli also defended the strategy of not going after the bowlers from word go.
“One of us (Virat or Faf) had to bat till the end. I feel this total is effective on this pitch. I am not coming in with any premeditation. I knew I couldn’t get over aggressive, just that I had to keep the bowlers guessing. They think I will come hard at them,” Kohli said.
“It’s just experience and maturity of playing the conditions. Even if there’s dew, the surface is rough and dry, won’t be easy for the batters,” he observed.
He felt that hitting Chahal or Ashwin wasn’t an easy task.
“I couldn’t get under the carrom ball against Ashwin. Couldn’t slog towards mid-wicket, so had to target straight down the ground,” said Kohli.
(With inputs from PTI)
