IPL 2023: RCB's Virat Kohli spills beans on how he motivates himself on the field after 50 vs DC

IPL 2023: RCB's Virat Kohli spills beans on how he motivates himself on the field after 50 vs DC

Virat Kohli hit his third fifty this season during the match vs DC. (Source: @RCBTweets

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Virat Kohli is in sublime form this IPL season having already scored 214 runs in four matches so far. The batter had also managed to rack up three fifty plus scores with the latest coming in the match against Delhi Capitals.

Kohli, who scored 50 off 34, got out a juicy thigh-high full-toss ball from Lalit Yadav and was absolutely livid with himself for making a mess out of a scoring opportunity. RCB eventually managed 172 runs in their 20 overs.

“I was quite disappointed that I got out to a full toss. I’ve been playing really well. I wanted to make sure that after fifty, I was targeting 30-35 runs off the next 10 balls. That’s how I play. That would’ve helped us get past 200," said Kohli at the post-match presentation.

The batsman, however, judged the pitch correctly as he informed his teammates in the dugout, saying it slowed down considerably.

“One thing I mentioned to the guys in the change room was that 175 was enough on this pitch. It slowed down considerably when the spinners came on. Even the balls to hit off the back foot off Kuldeep were holding up, unlike the other games we played. We did well to get to that score and had the belief it was enough,” Kohli said at the presentation.

“When I’ve played my best cricket, those are the balls I’ve put away consistently (length balls on the up). That helps me to put pressure on the bowlers. When I put away their best balls, they’re going to try to do something else. I back myself to hit good balls and the best bowlers in the opposition," he added.

This was RCB's first win post two consecutive losses after winning their season opener against Mumbai Indians. Kohli also admitted that they let it slip last couple of matches but happy to get two points.

“That’s how I motivate myself to play out there. Very happy to get two points. We kind of let it slip away in the last two games. For us to bounce back like this was very crucial. That was a different mentality and phase altogether (T20 World Cup 2016 semis). I was in a space where I felt I could hit any ball. I back myself to hit good shots. When they come off, they look good,” he concluded.

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Prashant Talreja is an Assistant Editor at WION, specializing in sports: cricket, tennis, golf, football, etc. With over 10 years of experience in sports journalism, Talreja has pr...Read More