New Delhi [India], April 26 : Ahead of his side's match against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Delhi, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) spin bowling coach Malolan Rangarajan hailed star batter Virat Kohli's improved game against spin bowling since last season.
Virat will be returning to his home, Delhi, the city that raised him and laid the foundation of his cricketing career, as a revenge clash against DC is set to take place at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. The veteran is at second spot in the Orange Cap race, with 392 runs in nine matches at an average of 65.33, a strike rate of 144.11, with five half-centuries. His best score is 73*.'
Speaking ahead of the match during the pre-match presser, Malolan said that it is wrong to just highlight Virat's game against spin and his general strike rate last season.
"It was not only Virat last season who was not batting at the desired strike rate. It was the whole team. So I think the whole team got together. And that is precisely what happened. That is part one," said Malolan.
"Part two is about Virat Kohli as the individual. He does not need to go and practice extra against left-arm spin and leg spin. He's batted for 20-25 years. He is a genius. He just has to decide what he wants to do and how he wants to take down a particular bowler," he added.
Malolan hailed Virat that even after being around the game for so long, he is constantly looking at ways to evolve and upgrade his game, calling it "unbelievable."
In the first six matches of the 2024 season, Virat scored 319 runs at an average of 79.75, with a century and two fifties, but his strike rate of around 141 generated immense criticism from fans and experts who felt that his more cautious approach, especially against spin, held RCB back.
However, Virat responded with immense improvements against spin, utilisation of slog sweep against them, and hitting more sixes. In the next nine matches, he scored 422 runs at an average of 52.75, with three half-centuries. However, his strike rate skyrocketed to around 166, marking a massive improvement. He ended the season with 38 sixes, on par with his best season of 2016, when he scored 952 runs with four centuries and seven fifties.
His attacking approach played a key role in RCB turning a new leaf in their campaign after just one win in the first eight matches, winning the next six on the bounce to make it to the playoffs, where they lost to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the eliminator.
He finished with the Orange Cap for most runs last season, with 741 runs in 15 matches at an average of 61.75, a strike rate of 154.69, a century and five fifties.
In the ongoing season, Virat has continued to redefine his T20 game, even after retirement from international T20 matches following a T20 World Cup win last year. His strike rate against spin this season is 140.57, an improvement as compared to the previous season's 137.08.
His strike rate against slow left-arm spin has gone to 142.42, from 124.70 last season. In other seasons during this decade, his strike rate against slow left-arm spin was 112.30 (while scoring 73 runs in six innings during the 2023 season), 102.08 (while scoring 49 runs in seven innings in 2022 season), 95.77 (while scoring 68 runs in seven innings in 2021 season) and 94.02 (while scoring 63 runs in seven innings during 2020 season), as per ESPNCricinfo.