New Delhi: Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) kept their Indian Premier League (IPL) IPL 2022 playoff hopes alive by defeating Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) by 8 wickets in their last league match on Thursday night. In this do-or-die match, Virat Kohli roared fiercely with his bat against the bowlers of Gujarat. Kohli, who was and is still struggling with poor form in IPL 2022, played a match-winning inning of 73 runs against Gujarat Titans. He was adjudged the 'Man of the Match' award for his heroics. After IPL 2022, this was Kohli's first man of the match award. The star batter revealed after the match that he had batted continuously for 90 minutes in the nets which helped him.
"It was an important game. I was disappointed that I haven't done much for my team and that is what bothers me, not the stats. Today was a game where I was able to create an impact for the team. Puts us in a good position. There are expectations because of the performances that you have put in. You need to keep the perspective right. You can forget the process in order to live up to the expectations. I have worked really hard. I batted 90 minutes non-stop in the nets yesterday," Kohli said during the post-match presentation ceremony.
Kohli hammered his first four of the match off Mohammed Shami and two balls later he hit a lofted cover drive. He said after hitting length balls over the fielders he knew it was his night.
"With the very first shot of Shami, I felt I could hit lengths balls over the fielder's head. I knew that tonight was the night when I could kick on," said former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain.
Virat Kohli has scored only two fifties in IPL 2022 and both fifties have come against Gujarat Titans. Earlier, Kohli had played an innings of 58 runs against Gujarat in an IPL 2022 match.