“Don’t worry, I’ll take him down” - Former RCB star shares fascinating story of Virat Kohli keeping his word in IPL 2015

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) mentor Dinesh Karthik recently shared an anecdote about Virat Kohli keeping his word during an IPL 2015 game against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH). Speaking at the India Today South Conclave on Monday, September 8, Karthik recalled how, ahead of the game during a team meeting, Kohli confidently said he would take on the likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Dale Steyn.

The match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium was reduced to 11 overs per side due to rain. SRH batted first and posted 135/3, with rain again delaying RCB’s chase. Asked to chase 81 in six overs, Kohli rose to the occasion in the final over, hitting two consecutive fours and a six off Bhuvneshwar. He finished unbeaten on 44 off 19 balls, steering RCB to a six-wicket victory with one ball to spare under the DLS method.

Recalling the game, Dinesh Karthik said:

“So there was this game against SRH, RCB versus SRH in 2015. It was a must-win game. David Warner was their captain and Virat was RCB's captain. And I remember walking into this team meeting, and we had this batting meeting. You know, they had Dale Steyn, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and we used to obviously look at bowlers and say, okay, this is what he's looking to do, how are we going to take him down. So everybody spoke about certain bowlers, and then they said this is Dale Steyn, you know, these are the areas that he could bowl. His first thing was, don't worry, I'll take him down.”

“So his confidence, at least that's how he almost drove himself to success, is he wanted to take down the best bowler in the opponent. That's what he thrived on, and that I really enjoyed watching, because that game he really took Dale Steyn down. It became a five-over match by the way. They got a certain score in five overs, we needed to get 70,” he added.

Karthik continued:

“But who was it who took down Dale Steyn with the new ball in a five-over game, when the pitch was damp and actually it was seaming? He opened with Chris Gayle. It was Virat Kohli. That game I was like, wow, now this is a skill that not many people can have. You can just say it in a closed room saying I'll take that bowler down, but to go out there when there are 40,000 people looking at you and believing that you're the guy to do it is a skill, and I think Virat Kohli was a master at it. He really was.”

During the IPL 2015 edition, Kohli scored 505 runs in 16 innings at an average of 45.90 and a strike rate of 130.82, including three fifties.

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“He is training, he's keeping his body fit” - Dinesh Karthik shares major update on Virat Kohli

During the same conversation, Dinesh Karthik heaped praise on Virat Kohli, highlighting how he has managed all the distractions in his life. Karthik also noted that while Kohli is currently active only in ODIs at the international level, he continues to train and maintain his fitness. The 40-year-old said:

“Virat Kohli. I think he is the modern-day hero that every young boy and girl should watch because what he does off the field is what makes him so special. Today's challenge as a parent, and you keep speaking to a lot of parents, and I'm a parent today as well, is the fact that there are so many distractions, social media being a massive one."

"The fact that people don't go out to play, I'm sure when I was growing up we used to go out a lot and play in society and in our buildings and all of that, that's a big challenge these days. Virat Kohli is one such player who is able to manage all the distractions in life quite nicely. Even today, he's just playing the one format, but I know that he is training, he's keeping his body fit, and he's giving himself the best chance of success from wherever he is now," he continued.

“He was this typical Delhi hotheaded young boy who absolutely fascinated the young person from India. He was what youngsters craved to be: have that aggression, have that in-your-face kind of attitude, but back it up with skill. It wasn't just all bravado. He backed it up with performances for a long period of time, which is about four to five years across formats. I don't think anybody has shown that kind of consistency in winning games. Now, there are a lot of people over a period who have won games, but Kohli had this amazing ability. The bigger the game, he brought himself to the party a lot more,” Karthik added.

Virat Kohli is expected to be in action during the three-match away ODI series against Australia in October.