Follow UsVirat Kohli said he didn’t want to be “over-aggressive” and throw his wicket away after crafting his eighth century in the Indian Premier League.
The RCB batter scored 113* off 72 against Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on April 6 (Saturday). The 35-year-old got to the landmark off 67 deliveries, the joint slowest hundred in IPL history.
"The wicket feels like its flat but as soon as you see the ball holding up in the pitch, that's when you realise the pace is changing pretty quickly and then the big dimensions of the ground come into play," said Kohli after RCB posted 183/3 in their 20 overs.
"Nothing really came onto the bat. Even a few shots that I tried to play against Yuzvendra Chahal, just trying to slog him, they kept going under the bat. Even R Ashwin, it just felt like you couldn't get under the carrom ball to hit over midwicket. All you could target was straight if they missed their length. So if you're consistent enough, the batters were finding it difficult out there."
Kohli put on 125 runs for the opening wicket with Faf du Plessis, who himself scored 44 off 33 deliveries. While Kohli went about his business at a strike rate of 156.9, the other RCB batters scored just 59 off 48 balls (SR 122.9).
“Our initial target was 195 but then we decided, if one of me or Faf got out, one had to bat till the end. We got a boost and got 185, which I feel is an effective total.
“If we get the change of pace and lengths right, it will be a tough chase. I'm not coming in with premeditation. Whatever the surface allows me to do, I do that. Today I wasn't 20 off 9. I was 12 off 10."
Talking further about his approach, Kohli added: "So I knew I can't go over-aggressive. I don't want to be predictable. I know I can step up at any point because I'm hitting the ball well. But I want to keep the bowler guessing as to what I'm going to do.
"They probably want me to come hard at them so they can get me out or have an early breakthrough. But I feel like if I'm set and if I bat beyond six overs, then our chance of getting good totals becomes that much better.
"I guess it's just experience and maturity over the years and understanding the conditions that you're playing. I basically play the conditions and I have the game ready to play in two or three different ways."