IPL 2024: ‘Just felt like I need to take a bit more risk’ – Virat Kohli on the slogsweep

Royal Challengers Bengaluru talisman Virat Kohli admitted he needed to take a bit more risk against the Punjab Kings’ spinners at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala on Thursday. Kohli, who isn’t known to play slogsweep, brought back his old weapon.

The RCB opener scored a fine knock of 92 runs off just 47 balls with the help of seven fours and six maximums. Thus, he played an instrumental role in helping RCB post 241 runs on the board after they were put into bat by Sam Curran. 

Kohli also had the rub of the green as he was dropped on naught by Ashutosh Sharma and was also given another life by Rilee Rossouw when he was on 10. 

Kohli scored his runs at an impressive strike rate of 195.74 and batted at the top of his game. The right-hander managed 23 off 13 deliveries while facing the spinners scoring at a strike rate of close to 177 whereas he scored 69 off 34 balls against the pacers, striking at more than 200, on Thursday. 

“I brought out the slogsweep to the spinners. (It’s) something that I just mentally put myself in that situation. I didn’t practise it at all. I know I can hit it because I’ve hit it a lot in the past. So I just felt like I need to take a bit more risk and for me that shot was something that I used to hit regularly back in the day and that’s allowing me to now hit off the backfoot as well, because now I’m looking to expose that side (legside) of the field against the spin which for me has been a massive factor in this IPL,” explained Kohli, speaking to the broadcasters at the post-match presentations.

“I think it takes a bit more conviction and to take out that thought that props up – ‘what if you get out?’ I think I have been managing to stay ahead of that thought in this IPL. And that’s really helped me through the middle overs, keep my strike rate up and keeping that scoring rate going for the team as well,” added Kohli.

Kohli has amassed 634 runs in 12 matches at an average of 70.44 and a strike rate of 153.51 in the ongoing IPL 2024 and he is the top run-getter of the tournament. 

RCB will next take on Delhi Capitals at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Sunday.