Ravi Shastri dismisses criticism of Virat Kohli’s strike rate, saying, “Your strike rate is likely to drop when wickets fall around you.”

Recent years have seen a lot of discussion around Virat Kohli’s strike rate in Twenty20 cricket. But former India head coach and legendary pundit Ravi Shastri has recently backed him.

This Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season, Kohli has been playing at an incredible level. He has 500 runs from 10 games at an average of 71.43, making him the top run scorer. Even in the new T20 cricket format, the right-handed batter’s season strike rate of 147.49 is pretty impressive. On the other hand, some cricket fans have chastised him for faltering after making rapid starts.

As it came time to accelerate as wickets were falling from the other end, Shastri—who had a tight working relationship with Kohli as head coach—came to his support.

As the IPL 2024 got underway, Shastri said to Stake.com, “Your strike rate is likely to drop when wickets fall around you.”

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In order to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) chase down a tough target of 201 runs in just 16 overs against Gujarat Titans on Sunday, April 28, Kohli scored a magnificent 70 not out off 44 balls and stitched an undefeated 166-run partnership with Will Jacks (100* off 41 balls). The former all-rounder for India made this decision.

In the RCB, very few players are reliable: Ravi Shastri

Until now, RCB’s season has been underwhelming. With only three wins and seven losses from ten games, they are lagging behind at the bottom of the league. While they have struggled as a team without their renowned batting lineup, Kohli has been their lone warrior.

“On the RCB, you can identify only one or two reliable players,” the 61-year-old said.

Ravi Shastri is thought to be among the greatest pundits of all time. In terms of ICC (International Cricket Council) events, he has provided the voice for some of India’s greatest moments. Before his commentary gigs, Shastri disclosed his preparation method.

“I speak what I see and do the right amount of preparation on crucial aspects such as the event and the teams playing,” Shastri stated.

According to certain rumours, Kohli was not considered for India’s 2024 T20 World Cup team. But on April 30, a Tuesday, Kohli was one of the 15 players selected by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the major tournament.