Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bangalore questions a late run taken by CSK during match 68 of the Indian Premier League season 17 (IPL 2024) between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings held at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on the 18th May 2024. (Sportzpics)
Former Australia and CSK opener Matthew Hayden believes Virat Kohli shouldn’t be part of conversations with the umpire, mid-game, now that he is no longer the Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain.
“There’s way too much interjection from Virat Kohli. He is not the captain and he should not be in those conversations with the umpire,” Hayden had said on Star Sports during the RCB vs CSK game on Saturday.
RCB have made their way into the playoffs of IPL 2024 after remaining at the bottom of the points table with just one win from their first eight games. Since then, the three-time finalists have won six games in a row to turn the tide.
Kohli has been an instrumental figure in the turnaround, leading the run scoring tally this season. Against CSK, he scored 47 runs to provide the home side a strong start.
Hayden has backed the all-time highest run getter in the league to break his own record of most runs in a single season.
“He could go well past his IPL 2016 performance in the kind of form that he’s in. So more than anything, I just think it’s the energy and the love of the game, the passion, the commitment for it all—all of those describing words that you can glorify this great man with, whether it be on the field or with bat in hand. He just loves it; it’s crazy,” Hayden said on Star Sports.
Kohli scored 973 runs for RCB the last time they made it to the playoffs – in 2016 – a record that stands to this day. RCB will square against Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.
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