It looks like Virat Kohli is on a mission to prove all of his critics wrong. After a few snail-paced performances, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star batter has produced stunning knocks one after the other. His 92 (47) against the Punjab Kings was undeniably his best performance of the IPL 2024 season.
No more middle-overs slow down
He nearly scored two runs per ball (195.74), helping his team score 241 runs. Unlike his regular style of play, where he starts quickly, slows down in the middle, and then goes ballistic in the end, Kohli switched things up in Dharamshala. He scored 22(14) in the powerplay, upped the ante in the middle 45(24), and scored 25(9) in the death over.
Virat Kohli’s strike rate by phase vs Punjab Kings
| Overall | Powerplay (1-6) | Middle (7-15) | Death (16-20) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 195.74 | 157.14 | 187.50 | 277.77 |
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Virat Kohli spins the game
But it wasn’t just his pacing that was incredible. His play against spin was equally impressive. Usually a slow striker against the slower bowlers, Kohli scored 23(13) against Rahul Chahar and Liam Livingstone.
He scored just 5 runs on the first seven balls and then scored 18 runs on the next six. His over strike rate of 136 against spin went to 138.82 as he scored nearly 1.8 runs per ball against them in Dharamshala.
IPL 2024: Virat Kohli’s strike rate vs spin
| SR (Overall) | SR (Today) |
|---|---|
| 136 | 176.92 |
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