IPL 2024: Aaron Finch backs Virat Kohli’s 51-run effort off 43 balls against the SRH

After the top Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batsman struck a 43-ball 51 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), former Australia opener Aaron Finch defended Virat Kohli’s performance, stating that sometimes a set batter’s responsibility is to push the game deeper, which someplace restricts the purpose of smashing boundaries.

Kohli started fast in the Powerplay, hitting 23 off only 11 deliveries, but T Natarajan and Shahbaz Ahmed’s tight overs had him work hard for his next 28 runs off 32 balls.

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Rajat Patidar, nevertheless, prevented RCB’s scoring rate from declining. He had a strike rate of 125 against pacers and 197 against spinners going into the match. Using his strength, he scored the joint second-fastest fifty in RCB history in only 20 balls, helping Faf du Plessis’s team reach 206 in 20 overs and win the match by 35 runs.

After dropping two wickets, the former Australian captain pleaded with fans not to write off Kohli’s sluggish innings since he was attempting to develop a partnership with Patidar. “I believe there are many factors at play here. Yes, Kohli had a very strong start. However, during the Powerplay, he fell from 25 to 19. However, you must remember that Patidar was losing his wits on the other end. As a set hitter, it might sometimes be your responsibility to push the pitch a little farther and force Patidar to strike as often as you can. The intention to push limits ends there, according to Finch.