"Apart From MI Winning 5 And CSK 4...": Virat Kohli Issues Strong-Worded Message To Critics

03.04.2023 - 10:25 sports.ndtv.com

Ecstatic after their emphatic win over five-time champions Mumbai Indians in their IPL opener, Royal Challengers Bangalore's batting mainstay Virat Kohli on Sunday hoped that the team will keep the focus and execute things properly to maintain the momentum.

Kohli (82 not out off 49 balls) and skipper Faf du Plessis (73 off 43 balls) struck fiery fifties to fire RCB to an eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians on Sunday. "Phenomenal win.

Homecoming after so many years. Credit to their batters for getting to that score. Tilak (Varma) batted well. We kept backing ourselves.

Faf went first, and I joined later. I am very happy with how things went today," said Kohli after the match. "Apart from Mumbai winning five times and Chennai four times, we have qualified the most number of times, so we do play consistent cricket.

cricket Mumbai Indians Message Virat Kohli India Chennai Bangalore

India and Mumbai Indians (MI) skipper Rohit Sharma touched the mark of 250 sixes in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, becoming the first-ever Indian to do so. The 'Hitman' as he is known to millions, accomplished this feat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) in his side's home arena of Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. In the match, Rohit played a knock of 44 runs in 27 balls. His knock consisted of four boundaries and three sixes. His runs came at a strike rate of over 162. He was caught and bowled by Liam Livingstone during the run-chase of 215.

"Quadriceps And...": Virat Kohli On 3 Things He Would "Beg, Borrow And Steal" From MS Dhoni

India batter Virat Kohli and former captain of the team, MS Dhoni, share a great camaraderie with each other. Dhoni had gradually passed the captaincy baton to Kohli across formats before he called it quits at the highest level on August 15, 2020. While leading the Indian team that too with Dhoni behind the stumps, Kohli didn't shy away from learning and taking suggestions from the wicketkeeper-batter. This saw Kohli growing into a much-better captain. However, it is not only the tactical acumen of Dhoni that Kohli wants to adopt. In a recent interaction, he has revealed that he would love to have "quadriceps, calves, composure" of Dhoni.

Points Table "Can't Define Your Team": Virat Kohli's Blunt Take After Win As RCB Stand-in Captain

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) stand-in skipper Virat Kohli said that the target batters put on the board was enough and there was no need to take the game till the end against Punjab Kings (PBKS) at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium on Thursday. RCB won the match against PBKS by 24 runs. RCB opener Faf du Plessis's 84 off 56 balls and Virat Kohli's 59 off 47 helped the team score 174 which PBKS failed to chase, getting all not in 18.2 overs.

Virat Kohli Picks Two GOATs Of IPL. They Are Not MS Dhoni And Rohit Sharma

One of the finest batters of all time, Virat Kohli, has rubbed shoulders with and competed against some of the finest players in the world over the years in the Indian Premier League. When it comes to the T20 league, there have been some big-name achievers in the league, including the likes of MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Dwayne Bravo, Suresh Raina, etc. However, when Kohli was asked to pick the GOAT of the IPL, the Royal Challengers Bangalore star admitted that it was quite a difficult choice.

"RCB + CSK = India": Virat Kohli's Touching Tweet With MS Dhoni's Photo Is Gold

It was a clash of the titans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday as the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 clash between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings pitted two of the biggest superstars of Indian cricket - MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli - against each other. It was a emotional meeting as the two have been a support system to each other during their time in the Indian cricket team. Kohli has often spoken about how Dhoni was the one player who messaged him during his low phase as he was going through a century drought for over two years.

Watch: Virat Kohli And MS Dhoni Enjoy Post-Match Chat In IPL 2023. Video Breaks Internet

The stories of the friendship and camaraderie between MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli are almost legendary in cricketing circles. Both of them shared a lot of time in the Indian cricket dressing room and the two stars of Indian cricket met once again during the Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore on Monday. While CSK emerged victorious by eight wickets, Kohli and Dhoni engaged in an animated chat at the end of the match and both of them ended up having a long conversation at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. In a video going viral, both of them can be seen sharing a laugh and talking about a variety of topics.