“Sit in the box and talk,” Virat Kohli shuts his critics for questioning his strike rate after match-winning knock against GT

Virat Kohli has regularly been criticized for his "slow" knocks in the 2024 IPL.

“Sit in the box and talk,” Virat Kohli shuts his critics for questioning his strike rate after match-winning knock against GT

Virat Kohli (Image via ESPN)

Virat Kohli has been under loads of scrutiny this season due to his strike rate. Fans and critics claim the former Indian captain bats too slow and his style of cricket is outdated. After hitting a match-winning fifty against Gujarat Titans (GT), he defended his batting style and called out his critics. 

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 70* off 44 while chasing 201. This fifty, along with a 41-ball ton by Will Jacks, ensured Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) won the game with four overs to spare. After the match, Kohli hit out at his critics. 

YouTube video
There's a reason you do it for 15 years, because you've won games for your team. I'm not sure if you have been in that situation yourself, to sit in the box and talk about the game, I don't think it's the same thing. 
Virat Kohli in the post-match interview

He spoke about his strike rate, claiming people just love to talk about numbers. He defended himself, and said he was just doing his job the way he knew it. He added it is all muscle memory for him now. 

Will Jacks claims Virat Kohli’s intensity helped him 

Will Jacks was struggling in the IPL, with three single-digit scores in his previous four matches. He finally got his form back as he scored the 5th fastest IPL century against GT. Struggling at the start of the innings, Jacks said batting with Virat Kohli helped him find his rhythm. 

Virat Kohli and Will Jacks
Virat Kohli and Will Jacks (Image via ESPN)
I struggled early on, but Virat kept his intensity up and gave me the chance to find my rhythm.
Will Jacks in the post-match press conference

Jacks added that he enjoyed batting with Kohli, calling it an “amazing” time. He thinks that spending time in the middle with Kohli will help him in becoming a better batter in the future. 

Jacks started his innings pretty slow, struggling against Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed. He recovered himself in the 11th over, hitting Mohit Sharma for a boundary and a maximum. Jacks reached his fifty in 31 balls and then scored the next 50 runs in nine balls, winning the game for RCB. 

In case you missed!