On a sluggish evening in Delhi, with Royal Challengers Bengaluru under pressure in their chase, it was Virat Kohli’s unwavering energy that helped Krunal Pandya find his footing. With constant encouragement from the other end, Krunal overcame a slow start and produced a match-winning knock, reports Live Cricket Score.
The duo stitched together a crucial 119-run stand off just 84 balls for the fourth wicket, with Krunal contributing over 60 percent of the runs.
After the game, Krunal was quick to acknowledge Kohli’s support, crediting the senior pro’s infectious energy as a key factor behind his comeback.
“Virat’s energy is very infectious. It passes on to you as well,” Krunal said in a chat with IPLT20.com. “He kept backing me and pushing me throughout. So a lot of credit goes to him for my innings. He was constantly encouraging me.”
It wasn’t the smoothest of beginnings for Krunal on a tricky Delhi surface. He even took a blow to the helmet from Dushmantha Chameera and was struggling at 14 off 19 balls at one point. But a confident flick off the pads in the next over unlocked his game. Krunal went on to strike five boundaries and four towering sixes.
“I think in the first 20 balls, I got hit on the helmet as well. But again, it’s that attitude of not giving up, believing that you can still make a comeback,” Krunal reflected. “Along with skills, mental toughness plays a big role. Eventually, if you’re strong mentally, you can turn things around.”
He added, “In cricket, I’ve learned that there are more failures than good days. That experience teaches you to never give up and to keep improving. So when your day comes, you grab the opportunity and win the match for your team.”
Speaking after the match, Orange Cap holder Virat Kohli was full of praise for Krunal’s performance.
“He was outstanding today with the bat,” Kohli said. “We’ve always known he can make an impact, and today was his day. He was absolutely brilliant.”
Kohli also revealed the conversation between them during the partnership: “The feedback I kept getting from Krunal was, ‘You stay, I’ll take the chances.’ We’ve communicated really well as a batting unit this season; different players have stepped up at different times, which is why we’ve got seven wins out of ten. We’re looking really good and hopefully, we can keep the momentum going.”
The RCB skipper also spoke about his approach to chasing, a situation he thrives in. Against DC, he notched up his fifth fifty of the season, continuing to be the lynchpin in Bengaluru’s successful chases.
“Whenever there’s a chase on, I constantly check with the dugout – are we on track, what’s my role, what kind of innings is needed,” Kohli explained in a sideline interview.
As for his thought process during a chase, Kohli shared, “It’s about understanding the total, assessing the conditions, identifying which bowlers are still to bowl and who might be tough to score off. I focus on ensuring the singles and doubles keep coming, and sprinkle in boundaries here and there to keep the momentum going. I always try to prevent the innings from getting stagnant.”
Reflecting on this season’s batting conditions compared to previous years, Kohli pointed out how the approach has needed more thought and adaptability.
“People seem to have forgotten the importance of building partnerships or batting deep in T20 cricket. This year, you can’t just go out swinging from ball one. You need to read the situation and build towards dominating the bowlers.”
He added, “Stringing partnerships is crucial, especially on slower pitches where strike rotation becomes key. That’s my method: assess the conditions, read the scoreboard, understand the situation, and then use the skills to keep the scoreboard ticking over.”
