Harshal Patel opens up on Virat Kohli's athleticism, batting methodologies and commitment for cricket

Star India batter Virat Kohli was at his very best when the 34-year-old hit a cracking century against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the ongoing IPL 2023. Chasing 187 runs, RCB had to win the match in order to stay in contention for the playoff race as the former skipper, along with Faf du Plessis (71 runs off 47 deliveries), built a phenomenal partnership of 172 runs to secure an eight-wicket win.

Following the completion of the match, RCB pacer Harshal Patel lauded Kohli, saying that his energy and commitment to the game is remarkable to watch. Harshal also praised Kohli’s timing and spoke about his ability to run quickly between wickets in order to keep the scoreboard ticking.

“When he gets going, it's sort of hard to bowl to him. That's a sign of a great player. I don't need to sit here and say he is a great player, everyone knows that. Just by playing cricketing shots, not by doing anything fancy. The way he takes on the bowlers, even on a slowish pitch like this. The kind of shots he played, the kind of sixes that he hit. He's obviously not a power hitter. But the timing part of his batting is just incredible. 

“His ability to keep going for 20 overs, without getting tired, taking so many twos. Even on the field, he is always buzzing, he is going from long-off to long-on in the last five overs. So, his energy and commitment to the game is remarkable to watch,” Harshal was quoted as saying by India Today.

Notably, courtesy of Kohli’s 100 off just 63 deliveries, RCB managed to pick up an easy win, and with that, they moved to number four on the IPL points table. Next up, the three-time finalists will take on Gujarat Titans on May 21 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and if they manage to beat the defending champions, RCB will qualify for yet another playoffs. If luck favours, the Faf du Plessis-led side can also finish in the top two.