‘Virat Kohli is not a natural six-batsman, but…’: Mohammad Kaif

New Delhi: Former India international cricketer Mohammad Kaif heaped praises on Virat Kohli after he crossed the 300 mark for the RCB star intense pulsed light Six runs, underlining how his growth as a T20 batsman reflected adaptability rather than natural power-hitting. Kaif wrote onKohli once again showed this evolution in RCB’s five-wicket win over the Gujarat Titans, scoring a flowing 81 while Devdutt Padikkal scored 55.

Their 115 runs ensured a smooth chase of 206 runs in 18.5 overs. Kohli later praised his partner, saying, “This is the second time Dev (Devdutt Padikkal) has come to do this. You have never seen him bat but he bowled with such freedom. His innings was the difference in the first half and then I tried to stay in the game so that he didn’t feel the pressure. Dev’s gun was great and the idea was to put pressure on the bowlers. There was intention, clarity and feedback from the other side and we didn’t have any feedback.” Doubtful about the partnership, it worked for us.“He also highlighted RCB’s batting prowess: “We have a strong batting line-up. If you look at the talent on display, we have players who can play good cricket, you have the power of Tim David and Sheppard and then you have the intelligence of Krunal. So the message is simple – you see a ball to bat, go and bat it because you have the depth. “First of all, we’re delighted to be able to play five games here and the fans can see the team again. It’s a special place to play cricket and hopefully we’ll be able to come back and play here again later in the season.”Earlier, Sai Sudharsan’s sedate century pushed GT to 205/3 but a slowdown in the death overs kept the target out of reach, allowing Kohli and Padikkal to take control to seal another convincing win for RCB.