Fair or not? Virat Kohli's rant at his strike rate critics leaves IPL fans divided

Fair or not? Virat Kohli’s rant at his strike rate critics leaves IPL fans divided

Virat Kohli’s rant about his strike-rate critics has left the fans on social media divided. The RCB superstar tore into criticism of his strike rate and his often-questioned ability to play at a good click against spinners in the middle overs. His explosive comments came after he hit a match-winning 70 off just 44 balls in RCB’s dominant 9-wicket win over Gujarat in Ahmedabad in an IPL 2024 match on Sunday.Â

Virat Kohli gave a rare post-match interview and it seemed as if he wanted to give it back to his critics. When asked about becoming the first batter in IPL 2024 to reach 500 runs and his consistency over the years, Kohli said milestones don’t matter to him and that it might matter to people who question his T20 game.Â

“Not really (milestones matter?). I think all the people who talk about strike rates and me not playing spin well are the ones who love talking about this stuff. But, for me, it’s about winning the game for the team. And there is a reason you have done this for 15 years,” Virat Kohli said after his match-winning knock against Gujarat.

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“You have done this, day in and day out. You have won games for your team. And I am not quite sure, if you have not been in that situation yourself, to sit and speak about the game from a box,” Kohli said.Â

Kohli’s comments have been met with contrasting reactions on social media. While a few lauded Kohli for giving it back, others have questioned the need for going after critics after having had issues while facing spin in the past. Â

Kohli’s comments came after he was scrutinised for his 43-ball 51 against SRH in Hyderabad last week. Kohli managed just 19 runs in 25 balls after the powerplay in that match, struggling to keep the scoreboard moving at a healthy pace after the powerplay. Legendary Sunil Gavaskar was among the many who questioned his inability to score at a quick pace against the SunRisers despite RCB going to win that contest.Â

However, on Sunday, Kohli was in a belligerent mood as he tore into the spin trio of Rashid Khan, Noor Ahmed and Sai Kishore against GT. Virat Kohli scored 61 runs in just 34 balls against spin as he struck at 179.41 against the trio at the Narendra Modi Stadium. He was helped by Will Jacks, who hit a 41-ball hundred, the fifth-fastest in IPL history.

It was a innings of statement from Virat Kohli as his place in the T20 World Cup squad has become a big topic of discussion. Kohli is one of the frontrunners to win a spot in India’s 15-man squad, which is likely to be announced in the coming days.Â