Virat Kohli scored his first half-century of IPL 2022 in Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) last fixture against Gujarat Titans on Saturday. Kohli scored 58 off 53 balls but it ended up on a losing note as the Titans chased down the total convincingly.
The 33-year-old showed some form after a few underwhelming returns that saw him flaks from the fans. While the knock wasn’t free-flowing, it will Virat Kohli regain the much-needed confidence for the rest of the season.
However, former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen believes the former RCB captain would be fuming at himself because he couldn’t steer his side to a win. Speaking on official broadcaster Star Sports’ show, Pietersen said:
“Virat Kohli’s greatest attribute, how many games he has won for India while chasing. Virat Kohli is my greatest batter in this country because he has won so many games for India chasing. That is something you look at, that is something he cherishes and is so proud of. This knock yesterday, he would be looking and thinking some beautiful shots, absolutely fantastic shots and I felt good. But I know he is a champion, he is a winner and I know that he would be fuming that those weren’t enough for the win.”
The Bangalore franchise managed to score 170 runs in their 20 overs which was convincingly chased down by Gujarat Titans. David Miller and Rahul Tewatia added 79 runs for the fifth wicket to seal the game with three deliveries to spare. Miller remained unbeaten on a 24-ball 39, including five boundaries and a six, while Tewatia smacked 41 runs off just 24 deliveries, hitting five boundaries and two towering sixes.
“Two similar brands in their different teams” – Kevin Pietersen compares Kohli to Ronaldo
The 41-year-old cricketer-turned-commentator used the example of Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United to describe how big of a brand Kohli is and how important it is for him to win whenever they are out on the field.
“What he needs to do is to have a look at Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo. Two similar brands in their different teams and in their sports. You have Virat Kohli right at the top of cricket, his brand is right at the top of cricket. Cristiano Ronaldo is right at the top of football. One plays for Manchester United, and one plays for RCB and India. Those are big brands and they are going to be talking points. Those big brands also want to maintain their status in the game by winning,” Pietersen concluded.
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