Former India batter Mohammad Kaif lauded Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli ahead of the match against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Mohammad Kaif stated that Virat Kohli has reached a zone where outside noise doesn’t bother him.
Virat Kohli has been in outstanding form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. The right-handed batter is the leading run-getter in the season. He has scored 661 runs at an average of 66.10 and a strike rate of 155.16, including one century and five fifties.
Bengaluru will lock horns with the Chennai Super Kings in their final league stage match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 18. The Faf du Plessis-led team needs to win the match by a decent margin to secure a playoff berth in the IPL 2024.
Virat Kohli Is In A Different Zone – Mohammad Kaif
Speaking on Star Sports, Mohammad Kaif noted that he is unfazed by his surroundings and that no bowler can trouble him. Kaif highlighted Kohli’s deep focus and added that he does not look at the scorecard while batting.
“When a hermit goes to the Himalayas, he is in a different zone when he is meditating. Nothing distracts him. Whether there is a loud noise, someone shouts or cries, it doesn’t make a difference. Virat Kohli has reached that zone,” Kaif said.
“He is not seeing the scorecard and is just in his zone and concentrating. He knows the intent with which he needs to play no matter which bowler, whether it’s a fast bowler or a spinner, is in front of him. No matter which bowler comes, he has reached a zone where there is no match-up,” he added.
Bengaluru started the season on a poor note, suffering seven losses out of the first eight matches. However, the 2016 IPL runner-up bounced back with five consecutive wins. They are currently in sixth place in the table with 12 points and an NRR of +0.387.
He Has Come Just To Dominate – Mohammad Kaif
The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Virat Kohli has a desire to lead RCB to victory. Kaif mentioned that Kohli’s dominating passion has been evident since the second match of the tournament.
“He has come just to dominate. He has come with the passion that he will only be satisfied once he makes his team win, and that has been seen from the second match. In the first match against Chennai, he got out when he pulled a Fizz (Mutafizur Rahman) slower bouncer and (Ajinkya) Rahane took the catch,” Mohammad Kaif further stated.
The 35-year-old batter scored 21 runs off 20 balls in the IPL 2024 opener against CSK. However, he bounced back strongly in RCB’s second game against the Punjab Kings (PBKS). He scored a match-winning 77 off 49 balls to secure victory on home ground.
Following the IPL 2024, Virat Kohli is set to play for the Men in Blue in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and the USA. The former Indian captain hopes to add the T20 World Cup trophy to his illustrious international career.
Also read: T20 World Cup 2024: Jay Shah names strong contenders to win the tournament; Leaves out Pakistan, England, and South Africa