Mohammad Kaif and Virat Kohli (BCCI Photo) NEW DELHI: Former India international cricketer Mohammad Kaif has heaped praise on Virat Kohli after the RCB star crossed 300 IPL sixes, stressing that his growth as a T20 batter reflects adaptability rather than natural performance. Kaif on X (formerly Twitter) wrote: “Virat Kohli hitting his IPL 6s on 303 is an incredible achievement. Imagine Gayle with 360 and Rohit with 310. Kohli is not a natural sixer but has worked on his game to meet the demands of the modern game. His greatness lies in his adaptability and courage to come out of the zone.”Kohli again showed this development in action during RCB’s five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans, where he scored a fluent 81 while Devdutt Padikkal smashed 55.
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Bombay Sport Exchange: Munaf Patel on Gautam Gambhir, Virat vs Bumrah and Indian bowling.Their 115-run stand ensured a smooth chase of 206, completed in 18.5 overs. Kohli later credited his partner, saying, “This is the second time Dev (Devdutt Padikkal) has come and done that. You never see him hit the ball and yet he plays so freely. His innings was the difference in the first half and then I tried to stay in the game so he didn’t feel the pressure. Dev had great weapons and the intention was to keep the pressure off the others and duty. We had no doubts about the partnership and it worked for us.”He also highlighted RCB’s batting power: “We have a tremendous batting line-up. If you look at the talent on display, we have guys who can play good cricket shots, you have the power of Tim David and Shepherd and then you have the smarts of Krunal. So the message is simple – you see the ball you want to bat, go for it because you have the depth.” “Firstly we were quite happy to play five games here and the fans could see the team again. A special place to play cricket and hopefully we can come back and play here again later in the season.”Sai Sudharsan’s composed century earlier powered GT to 205/3, but a slowdown in the death overs kept the target within reach, allowing Kohli and Padikkala to take control and seal another convincing win for RCB.
