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Virat Kohli, slated to lead the clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), will return to competitive cricket alongside legendary cricketer MS Dhoni on March 22 in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Defending champions CSK will take on Kohli-starrer RCB in the IPL 2024 opener at the iconic Chepauk. Can RCB rely on the return machine against CSK? Legendary Australian opener Matthew Hayden believes that Kohli’s batting exploits have taken a big hit in the last few years of the IPL at Chepauk.
Despite being the all-time run-getter in the IPL, Kohli has struggled to get going against CSK in Dhoni’s den since 2021. The former RCB captain has a below-average average against the Chennai Super Dhoni’s Kings at the Chepauk. According to former Super Kings star Hayden, Kohli’s batting greatness has diminished in Chennai. Talking about Kohli’s downfall at the venue, Hayden pointed out that the former RCB captain has been dismissed three of the five innings during the powerplays.
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‘MS Dhoni has done something different’
“Virat enjoys a great track record against the Chennai Super Kings, but since 2021 in the powerplay, MS Dhoni has done something different. In three of the five innings, he has come out on the power plays. Well, one thing is for sure, it is a blockbuster matchup, Virat Kohli practically this year will be celebrated in every game. He averages 30 at Chepauk Stadium with a strike rate of 111,” Hayden said. star sports in the run-up to the first match of IPL 2024.
How did Kohli perform in IPL 2023?
Former India captain Kohli missed the entire Test series against England due to personal reasons. Kohli has been out of action since January. The 35-year-old has played 237 matches for RCB since the inception of the IPL. He made his debut against former champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium in 2008. The RCB icon has smashed seven centuries in the cash-rich league. However, the former Bengaluru captain is yet to end his century-long drought at the Chepauk.
‘Virat’s greatness has reduced’
“Immediately, that shows that Virat’s greatness has diminished in terms of his overall performance at that spot. It’s a tough spot to bat at, especially as an opening batsman against a kind of weird tennis ball-type bounce. It’s a pretty tough spot to hit. “Slow and difficult, especially to play his shots early and then when he seems to bat, the game opens up and that’s where Virat can be most dangerous,” Hayden continued.
Kohli failed to dismiss RCB against CSK in IPL 2023
With 14 points from 14 games, RCB finished sixth in IPL 2023. Kohli, who regained his best form in the previous edition of the IPL, smashed back-to-back centuries for RCB last year. The 35-year-old amassed 639 runs in 14 games in IPL 2023. The batting maestro scored six half-centuries and two centuries in the 2023 season. Kohli scored just 6 off 4 balls the last time RCB faced Dhoni’s CSK in the IPL.
“Virat can deliver a winning performance”
“If you have really bowled about 20 overs, you can put up a winning performance because the two hundreds that are very affordable at Chinnaswamy are not needed at the Chepauk Stadium. A 156, a fight, 130 has sometimes been a lot of runs. When you get guys like that good guys like Harbhajan Singh bowling in those places and they have the great Jadeja there bowling from stump to stump. He will make the oddball turn and then the oddball stay low. It’s really tricky. So they go “We need him Virat Kohli comes out early in that power play. “They’ve done it three times in the last five innings and they’ll need to do it a fourth time,” Hayden added.