"They Went On Backfoot": How Virat Kohli Sent SRH Bowlers 'The Signal'

Into the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad, with Royal Challengers Bangalore needing nothing less than a win to stay afloat in the competition, Virat Kohli produced a cricketing spectacle, scoring his 6th century in the Indian Premier League to lead the team's charge with the bat. In a candid conversation with skipper Faf du Plessis, however, Kohli admitted that he didn't think this would be the day where he would go on to bag the triple-digit score. Virat pointed out one specific moment in the match that made him realise that he can go on and do some serious damage.

When Du Plessis asked Kohli if he purposely changed his intent in the game, the former RCB skipper said that he wanted to match his and Glenn Maxwell's performances.

"I was talking to Deep [Dasgupta]. I said 'The way I have been batting in the nets, I couldn't really bring that game to the surface. I just felt like this pitch was nice enough with the new ball especially. For me to get going the way I have in the first 8-9 games, I wanted to pick my game up at this stage," he added.

Presenting a interview with @RCBTweets opening duo - @imVkohli & captain @faf1307

VK & Faf talking cricket is all heart & wholesome - By @28anand

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Further in the conversation, Kohli revealed that when he hit two boundaries on the bowling of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Sunrisers Hyderabad team went on the backfoot. This is when Kohli decided to show them his intent and build the innings.

"I felt that You and Maxi have really taken your game to the next level and I just wanted to join in and make an impact as well. As soon as I got two boundaries off Bhuvi, I felt like they went onto the backfoot immediately. And those weren't shots that were forced. I just felt that good cricketing shots will send them a signal that I'm here to play with intent," he revealed.

The job for RCB, however, isn't done yet. The franchise needs to win its last game to be in control of their playoffs fate.

Topics mentioned in this article

Royal Challengers Bangalore Sunrisers Hyderabad Virat Kohli Faf du Plessis IPL 2023 Cricket