SRH vs RCB IPL 2024: Sunil Gavaskar criticizes Virat Kohli's batting tempo despite a half-century

SRH vs RCB IPL 2024 at Hyderabad with Virat Kohli and Sunil Gavaskar

Virat Kohli, the former captain of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), faced scrutiny from cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar for his performance against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite Kohli emerging as RCB's highest scorer, Gavaskar expressed dissatisfaction with the pace at which the runs were accumulated.

Gavaskar's critique underscored the significance of strike rate in the dynamic format of the game. While Kohli's runs held value, Gavaskar raised concerns regarding the tempo at which they were scored.

In the match, Kohli scored 51 runs off 43 balls, including four boundaries and a six. What puzzled Gavaskar was Kohli's approach, particularly his slower scoring rate in the latter part of his innings. Initially, Kohli scored 32 runs off 18 balls, but his next 19 runs came from 25 deliveries.

"In the middle, he just seemed to have lost touch. I am not sure of the exact numbers, but I think from 31-32 to the time he got out, he did not hit a boundary. So at the end of the day, when he got out when you are facing the strike in the first ball of the innings and you get out in the 14th or the 15th over, you have got strike rate of 118, that's not what your team expects from you," Gavaskar commented on air.

In contrast to Kohli's measured innings, Rajat Patidar's explosive batting showcased a different approach as RCB posted a formidable total of 206 for seven against SRH in Hyderabad on Thursday.

Patidar's innings, where he scored 50 runs off just 20 balls, starkly contrasted with Kohli's slower pace. Their partnership of 65 runs saw Patidar taking charge while Kohli focused on rotating the strike to his partner.