Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (Photo by ANI) Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) got a slight scare in their 18-run win over Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday after Virat Kohli was seen spending time off the field due to ankle concerns.Kohli, who had earlier played a knock of 50 off 38 balls, did not stay active on the field during MI’s chase. Instead, Jacob Bethell came in as a substitute fielder while the former RCB captain stayed away. Interestingly, MI skipper Rohit Sharma also had to leave the field during the same game after picking up a hamstring problem, leaving both the modern-day greats, who have been dealing with fitness issues, under high pressure in the contest.Despite the concerns, Kohli has already hit hard in the match. He put on a crucial century stand with Phil Salt and later achieved a personal milestone by becoming the first player to score 1,000 runs against Mumbai Indians in the IPL. In total, Kohli now has 1,030 runs in 36 innings against MI at an average of 32.18 and a strike rate of 129.23, including a best of 92* and seven half-centuries.He also added another major record to his name by registering his 47th century partnership in T20 cricket, the most among all Tests, surpassing Chris Gayle’s 46 such stands.After the match, RCB captain Rajat Patidar addressed concerns about Kohli’s fitness but gave a reassuring update. After the win, he said: “I don’t know yet, but I think he, I feel he’s fine now.”
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Patidar also reflected on the team’s performance as he praised the batting and the atmosphere at the Wankhede Stadium. He highlighted the strong start provided by Kohli and Phil Salt, as well as the impact of his own knock and Tim David’s late cameo in pushing RCB to 240/4, which ultimately proved decisive for an 18-run win.
