Raipur: Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Tim David underlined the physical and mental demands of Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 105, taking the defending champions to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 points table, saying that people don’t appreciate how fit one has to be to finish off a game.
At the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Kohli returned to form after bagging consecutive ducks as he steered his team home in a chase of 193 in Raipur with an excellent 60-ball knock, also his ninth IPL century, laced with 11 fours and three sixes.
Kohli became the most capped player in tournament history with his 279th appearance, and crossed 14,000 runs in T20 cricket – the fastest batter to reach the milestone in just 409 innings.
“It’s just a joy for all of us to watch. The way he chased it down when we only needed the two points. That was a great performance. It was hot out there, and he was running around everywhere and still batting through the innings. People don’t appreciate how fit you have to be to finish the game off,” said David in a release issued by the franchise.
Kohli also crossed 400 runs in an IPL season for the 12th time and went past 6000 IPL runs as an opener. Mentor and batting coach Dinesh Karthik echoed the sentiment by stressing Kohli’s clarity and confidence.
“We’re all used to seeing it, sometimes you don’t realise how special what he does actually is. He had complete confidence in himself during the innings. The strokes he played were very self-assured, and he knew exactly what he needed to do to get the team across the finish line. I wish people got more insight into how he speaks during the strategic timeout. He’s so clear and confident about what he needs to do,” he added.
The 92 run stand between Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal marked their 11th fifty plus partnership in the IPL, as RCB have put themselves in the pole position to make it to the playoffs. Head coach Andy Flower also lauded the contribution of squad members outside the playing eleven.
“The guys that haven’t been playing have been sensational around the dugout. Venkatesh Iyer is a player who has represented India, and the way he has conducted himself has been great role-modelling for some of the younger players. It shows a level of humility and generosity.”
(IANS)
