One would think Virat Kohli is the first name on any Indian team sheet for any tournament in any format of the game. Such is the aura and talent of the man.
However, of late, Kohli's place in the Indian T20 side has been questioned by many. In fact, recently multiple reports had emerged stating BCCI selectors were not in favour of taking Kohli to the West Indies and the USA for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
And Kohli, in typical fashion, answered his detractors with a man of the match performance on Monday night in the IPL, leading RCB to their first win of the tournament.
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Kohli scored a 49-ball 77 (with a strike rate of 157) in RCB's chase of 177 at the Chinnaswamy stadium against the Punjab Kings. After the game, while collecting his award, Kohli was in a jovial mood and took a subtle dig at his detractors.
What did Kohli tell Harsha Bhogle after RCB's win over PBKS?
Speaking to renowned commentator Harsha Bhogle, Kohli said that he was aware that his name is 'considered' useful only to promote the game these days but he was happy that he showed everyone he still has what it takes to play the format.
"I know my name is now attached to just promoting the game in different parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. I've still got it I guess." said Kohli with a sly smile on his face.
Interestingly, his remark was seemingly aimed at former English cricketers and commentators Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad. Pietersen had said in the past that Kohli going to the T20 World Cup was important since it would promote the game in new markets like the USA.
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However, RCB fans have also taken the opportunity to blast Bhogle who has in the past talked about Kohli's strike-rate while playing T20s.
What did Bhogle say about Kohli's strike-rate in T20s?
Bhogle has spoken multiple times in the past about how greats of the game like Kohli need to reinvent themselves in the T20s to ensure they keep hitting at a high strike-rate and not become a burden to their teams.
Most recently, he was in the news for the wrong reasons after a news outlet put out an edited clip where he was seen talking about how Kohli getting out in the T20s might be beneficial for the team.
Though Bhogle stated that the clip was edited and his comments were taken out of context, there was backlash from fans.
This is an example of what I was talking about with social media. The video is cropped just before the point where I say that Virat is capable of playing across situations but that I was only highlighting how even the greatest players have to keep adjusting demands and… https://t.co/bfJCdem08e
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) February 19, 2024
It seems the fans have not forgotten that episode and blasted Bhogle after Kohli's comments on Monday night, insinuating that Kohli was taking a dig at the Mumbai-based commentator.
To be fair, an unperturbed Bhogle did put up a post on X and remarked how composed and honest Kohli's comments were.
I really enjoyed the post match conversation with Virat Kohli. He is very relaxed, very comfortable and that came through. As a presenter, you have an instinct about comfort levels and it was good to listen to him talk about life beyond the game in the last 2 months. Our…
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) March 25, 2024
What next for RCB?
Having registered their first win in IPL 2024 on Monday night, RCB will be looking to climb up the ladder. Their next match is against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 29.
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