- Shamser Khalid
Kohli Pauses Toss to Address Crowd
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is in full swing, and cricket fans all over the world are eagerly following their favorite teams and players. One of the biggest stars of the league, Virat Kohli, has been in the news lately for his impressive performances as a stand-in captain for the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).
Kohli, who stepped down as the full-time captain of RCB in 2021, has been leading the team in the absence of Faf du Plessis, who is currently nursing an injury. Despite not being the regular skipper, Kohli has shown great leadership skills and has led his team to two consecutive wins in the last two games.
During the match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday, 26 April, Kohli won the toss and invited KKR to bat first. The home crowd at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru gave him a rousing reception, and he had to wait for some time to tell his decision to Ravi Shastri amid the deafening roar from the fans.
The Pause
Kohli shared a laugh with Shastri when asked about his decision, saying "Wait a minute." When he was he was asked by former India head coach Ravi Shastri about how it felt to lead RCB again, Kohli responded that stand-in captaincy was not new to him and that it has been fun so far due to the way the team has been playing. Kohli added that RCB has chased well on this ground before, so it was a no-brainer for him to bowl first and try to chase the target.
Kohli also mentioned that du Plessis should be back as the captain from the next match as an impact player. He praised the team's planning and added that it was not difficult for him to step in as a stand-in captain since he sees things a little differently and does certain things on the field instinctively.
Meanwhile, KKR captain Nitish Rana was surprised by Kohli's decision and said that he would have batted first so that his spinners could come into play later in the evening. Rana added that it was an important game for KKR since the second half of the tournament had started, and they had played some good cricket and some not-so-good cricket. He hoped that if they played well collectively, the result would be in their favor.
Highlights of the Match
The match itself was a highly competitive one, with both teams putting up a good fight. KKR opener Jason Roy gave his team a rapid start with a quick knock of 56 runs in just 29 balls. However, Vijaykumar Vyshak, an uncapped pacer, took the wickets of Roy and his opening partner, N Jagadeesan. KKR skipper Nitish Rana set his team up for a big score with a knock of 48 runs in just 21 balls.
In the end, RCB managed to restrict KKR to a modest total, which they chased down comfortably thanks to some brilliant batting from Kohli and AB de Villiers. RCB won the match by 7 wickets, securing their third consecutive win in the tournament.
The match was a testament to Kohli's leadership and RCB's team effort. It was also a reminder that anything can happen in the IPL, and every team has the potential to win on their day.
If you want to read more about Kohli, you may be interested in the time he was spotted playing badminton with his wife, Anushka Sharma.
