RCB vs KKR | Bit of a wake-up call, says Virat Kohli as Kolkata thrash Bangalore by nine wickets

RCB vs KKR | Bit of a wake-up call, says Virat Kohli as Kolkata thrash Bangalore by nine wickets

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KKR registered a thumping win vs RCB in match 31 of IPL 2021

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| Courtesy- IPL 2021

After Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) went down by nine wickets against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Monday, Virat Kohli reckoned that it was an ideal 'wake-up call for the side which won five out of their seven matches in India. He also talked about an error in judgement from RCB.

The 32-year-old stated that his side did not expect the dew factor to chip in early in the game and opted to bat first for the same reason. The right-hander, who managed 5 runs off 4 balls in the match, also rued the absence of good batting partnerships during the team innings.

"Was important to get a good partnership. We didn't expect that much dew to kick in that early. From 42 for 1, we lost 5 wickets for 20-odd. Bit of a wake-up call, might as well have this at the start of the second leg so that we know what we should work on. You can make the argument that we were rusty but as professionals you're expected to turn up and adjust. Sometimes it can take you a game, I hope not two, to get into the tournament, you have to stay with the eight-ball, if you're not, the other teams will be all over you. We have five win from eight, we expect a loss here and there, it's part and parcel, need to be professional, stick to our strengths and execute our plans. We have absolute confidence in our squad to pull up next game onwards and put in strong performances," Kohli said in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Virat Kohli praises Varun Chakravarthy 

Further, Virat Kohli praised mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who scalped three wickets for 13 runs, for his stellar performance. Notably, the 30-year-old is also part of India's T20 World Cup squad. 

"Pretty good from Varun, he's going to be a key factor when he plays for India. It's great guys who've got the opportunity to play at the international level. He's someone who is going to play in the near future for India, it's a great sign."

Earlier, RCB fell misearably after winning the toss and electing to bat first. Virat Kohli struck a gorgeous boundary before getting trapped in front of the stumps on a Prasidh Krishna delivery. Devdutt Padikkal (22) and Srikar Bharat (16) forged a mini 31-run partnership but once the former departed, things went south for the Bengaluru-based team. 

Andre Russell and Varun Chakravarthy ran through the RCB batting lineup and bowled them out for 92 in 19 overs. 

KKR openers Shubman Gill (48) and Venkatesh Iyer (41) added salt to RCB's wound by stitching a dominant 82-run partnership. Shubman might have failed to make the cut in India's T20 World Cup squad but he played breathtaking cricketing shots to make his presence felt in Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium. 

Playing in his debut match, 26-year-old Iyer also impressed and finished off the match with a boundary off Yuzvendra Chahal. 

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