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Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri feels superstar batter Virat Kohli should not slow down once he finds his mojo in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL 2023) season.
Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) lost their game against the Delhi Capitals (DC) by six wickets on Saturday, May 6. Following the result, many questioned the former RCB skipper's strike rate as he scored 55 runs off 46 balls.
Some may argue that Kohli had to play the anchor because of RCB's weak middle-order. However, Shastri opined that there's no space for slowing down in a T20 game for a set-batter. He advised the right-hander to continue batting fearlessly and look to up the ante without worrying about who's next to come.
Speaking to ESPNCricinfo, here's what Ravi Shastri had to say about Virat Kohli's strike rate:
"Once you get the tempo, just keep going, don't think about others - this would be my advice to Virat. In T20 cricket, you don't need many batters, so if you're hot, keep going. If you get the tempo, try and up the ante."
Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni know there's a camera on them all the time: Ravi Shastri
Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly shook hands after the DC vs RCB game and the photo went viral on social media. The duo hadn't shaken hands in the reverse fixture and many fans felt it was due to the captaincy saga with Kohli when Ganguly was the BCCI president.
Ravi Shastri spoke about how star cricketers like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni are smart enough on the field to not let the cameras capture any of their rage or aggression. These can in turn be taken out of context by fans and the media.
On this, Shastri stated:
"Players like Dhoni, Kohli, they know that there's a camera on them all the time. And you deserve it for what you have done and achieved in the game. So you can get a lot of brownie points by just being smart on camera."
During the conversation with ESPN Cricinfo, Shastri also hailed Dhoni for the way he has led the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2023 despite their injury woes. He added:
"Dhoni is a master of making a combination by backing players who may not have done well in 2022 but believing that they will do well in 2023. Now they look dangerous and could go the distance with two playoff games in Chennai because they are settled."
CSK, who are second in the standings, seem to be in pole position to qualify for the playoffs. They are also on course for a top-two finish, which would enable them to play in a home Qualifier.
Kohli's RCB, meanwhile, are fifth, but have the same points as the fourth-placed Rajasthan Royals who have played a game more.
