Virat draws flak for 'slow innings'; RCB skipper blames it on 'strange Bengaluru pitch'

Though his unbeaten 83 powered RCB to post a fighting total of 183 against KKR on Friday night, Virat Kohli has drawn flak from cricket enthusiasts on social media who claimed that the batter played a slow innings.

Kohli score an unbeaten 83 runs off 59 balls, an innings that was studded with four boundaries and as many sixes. However, fans have questioned whether the iconic batter should've been explosive right from the beginning. This despite the fact that he boasted an impressive strike rate of 140.68.

Kohli took charge of the run flow for Bengaluru following an early dismissal of Bengaluru captain Faf du Plessis on 8 (6). Subsequently, Kohli switched to a more controlled style of play and built a much-needed 65-run partnership with Cameron Green who came in to bat at No.3. It was followed by an explosive cameo by Glen Maxwell (28 off 19 balls). However, social media got flooded with posts slamming Kohli for his innings just after the end of Bengaluru’s innings with the bat.

Meanwhile, Plessis underlined the peculiar nature of the Bengaluru pitch, attributing Kohli's 59-ball 83-run unbeaten knock to its challenging conditions. Kohli has come under scrutiny from fans despite top-scoring for Bengaluru against Kolkata. Many fans have labelled Kohli's performance as “stat-padding” on a pitch that Plessis claimed to be slow. The RCB skipper highlighted the two-paced nature of the pitch during the first innings, noting the difficulties faced by the batsmen against the slow deliveries.

“Strange one, first innings we thought that the wicket was two-paced, you could see that when the guys bowled the cutters, the guys really struggled. We thought it was a decent score knowing that it gets a little easier in the evening, there was a little bit of dew coming in. Looking at the way we batted in the first innings, even Virat was struggling to hit the ball due to the lack of pace. You can always say after the game, try one or two things but the way the two of them (Narine and Slat) batted, they put pressure on our bowlers. They hit strong cricket shots and pretty much took the game away,” Faf du Plessis said in the post-match presentation ceremony.