Bengaluru: Since Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s first anchoring IPL title last season, Virat Kohli has been in imperial form. In nine ODIs and two Vijay Hazare Trophy matches, he has scored 821 runs, his lowest being 23 after Australia’s comeback from back-to-back ducks against New Zealand at Rajkot.In a period of constant scheduling, Kohli has largely worked as a one-format (ODI) international. Yet on Saturday night, returning to T20 cricket at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium for the first time since last season’s final, there was no sign of rust.
The 37-year-old looked in full rhythm, building on the touch from his last outing – 124 against New Zealand in January – as his unbeaten 69 off 38 balls powered RCB to a six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was a knock that was built on controlled aggression, starting with a crisp boundary to mid-off from Jaydev Anadhak and continuing at a calculated pace.In the post-match press conference, captain Rajat Patidar called him the “number one chess master”.Kohli credited his recent ODI run and preparations for a smooth transition.“The way I batted recently in the ODI series helped me stay in that pace. I have done a lot of physical work behind the scenes with my fitness. As long as I have the rhythm, things will go well,” said Kohli, RCB’s top scorer with 657 runs last season.He also highlighted the importance of breaks in a busy calendar.“With all the cricket I’ve played in the last 15 years, there’s always been a risk of burning out rather than undercooking. These breaks help me stay fresh and excited. Every time I come back, it’s 120 percent,” the opener said.Fitness remains the foundation.“As long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, things fall into place, and you can contribute to the team.”Despite his stature, Kohli insists that places have to be earned.“You don’t want to stick to a place. You want to keep performing and keep working for the team,” he said after being dismissed for 29 by Henrik Klaasen off Harshal Patel.
