With the help of his potent slog-sweep, Kohli has been able to counter the spinners in the middle overs. On Thursday, at Dharamsala, the 35-year-old, having just scorched his way to a 47-ball 92, successfully run out Shashank Singh with a brilliant direct hit from deep mid-wicket against Punjab Kings.
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“It’s quite remarkable, especially considering he’s not the same as the vintage Virat Kohli, but he’s also not 21 anymore; he’s 30. So, that’s brilliant what he’s done there,” Moody said on ‘Star Sports Cricket Live’.
“Running in from the deep, throwing himself to the ground, and managing to make the throw from that position is no easy feat. That’s something we’ve definitely taken into consideration. It’s truly extraordinary,” he said.
With the knock, Kohli’s season total increased to 634 at an average of 70.44 from 12 matches, with Ruturaj Gaikwad of the Chennai Super Kings coming in second (541 from 11 matches).
Despite his advanced age, Moody highlighted his mobility and bat contribution, saying, “He’s not just a fielder; he’s also contributed with the bat, scoring 92 runs and spending a lot of time out in the middle.”
“Despite the physical exertion, he’s always running around in the field like no one else. In the middle of the innings of that second innings he still managed to display the focus, enthusiasm, fitness, and agility required to execute a run-out like that.”
Moody added that even though Kohli might not train as hard as he once did, he still prioritizes developing his skills.
The player of the match disclosed during the post-match interview that he had used the slog-sweep option to counterspin.
“From what we took from his post match interview, you can see how has learnt how to manage how he prepares for a competition now,” Moody said.
“He knows he can’t hit as many balls and train as hard as he used to, but he’s still training alright. He’s still training on how to improve on his performances.
“We talk about the sweep slog, how he’s brought that back out against spin, and hasn’t that been a really effective weapon for him in those middle overs,” he added.
With Kohli in outstanding form, RCB has turned things around late in the season, winning four straight games after losing their previous six games.
With two games remaining, they are now in seventh place, maintaining their faint prospects of making the playoffs.
“Is it too late for RCB? Well they still have to keep playing this brand of cricket.”
“The way he batted tonight, you’d pay the big bucks to watch him every day of the week and it’s great to see him in this type of form,” Moody said.
RCB will play their final two league games at home on Sunday against the Delhi Capitals and on May 18 against the Chennai Super Kings.
(With PTI inputs)
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