The 2024 season of the IPL is in full cry and the table has started to take shape with every team having made at least a couple of outings thus far. Royal Challengers Bengaluru, who have managed to claim just one win in their four games so far in the campaign sit eighth in the table.
RCB opened the campaign with a defeat against Chennai Super Kings in the curtain raiser but looked to have turned things around with their home win over Punjab Kings in the subsequent fixture. However, their joy was shortlived as they became the first side to lose a game at home this season with their defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders, before another defeat at M Chinnaswamy Stadium against Lucknow Super Giants.
Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024
Despite their poor start to the season, star batter Virat Kohli has been in scintillating form as he tops the list of run-getters with over 200 runs already in the tournament.
Australian batter Steve Smith suggested that Kohli needs some support from the other batters in the team if RCB are to avoid another heartbreaking season.
Stay updated with the latest from IPL 2024, including top contenders for the IPL 2024 Orange Cap and IPL 2024 Purple Cap. Explore the complete IPL 2024 Schedule, IPL 2024 Points Table and players with the Most Sixes, Most Fours and Most Fifties in IPL 2024
“He needs the other key batters to stand up with him, and if they do that, they can turn things around for their season. But, at the moment, they’re not so a lot of pressure is on Virat,” the Australian said.
“I doubt he’d be putting extra pressure on himself. Some of the other top-order and middle-order need to help Virat. He started the campaign really well in the IPL and he needs some support,” he added.
Smith said that it was unlikely that Kohli would click game after game and hence would require some support from RCB’s batting unit.
“He’s not going to score runs on every occasion. But, I doubt he’d be thinking that way. I don’t think he’d go out and put extra pressure on himself. He’d just go out and play and see what happens in that game,” he reiterated.
Smith also hailed Kohli’s sense of picking up on game circumstances and playing the situation like no other in the world.
“Virat is an incredible player. What he does really well, and probably better than most people in the world, is he sums up the conditions and the situation of the game and plays accordingly,” Smith explained.
“If he needs to strike big, he does. If he needs to bring it back a little bit and build some partnerships, he obliges. You don’t need 180 on every ground; 150-160 might be enough on some grounds,” the 34-year-old added.
“Virat sums up the conditions really well and the situation. I’m not fussed about the strike rate,” the Aussie concluded.
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