Virat Kohli’s Fiery Response: Positive Perspective from Dinesh Karthik and Simon Doull

Virat Kohli served a timely reminder about his T20 prowess in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 season. Emerging as the leading run-scorer in a World Cup year. The former Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper won the prestigious Orange Cap during a season where RCB made it to the playoffs. Kohli responded emphatically to criticism regarding his strike rate, concluding a prolific season in the cash-rich league.

Criticism and Kohli’s Response

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Amidst criticism of his strike rate during the league phase, Kohli directly addressed cricket pundits following a stellar performance against Gujarat Titans (GT). Former New Zealand pacer Simon Doull advised Kohli to ignore the ‘rubbish’ criticism at the time. Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar also criticized broadcasters for repeatedly airing Kohli’s on-air rant against the pundits.

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‘Thanks to People Like Simon Doull…’

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Sharing his insights on Cricbuzz, RCB stalwart Dinesh Karthik credited Simon Doull for ‘spurring’ Kohli on in IPL 2024.

“I can write a book on how he was this year. He started okay but thanks to people like Simon Doull and a few others. They just really spurred him on. And you don’t want to see that side of Virat Kohli. I think he thrives on that. He is someone who inadvertently wants to hold on to certain things to do well,” Karthik remarked.

Kohli was retained in the Indian squad for the T20 World Cup following his remarkable performances in IPL 2024. The Orange Cap winner accumulated 741 runs in 15 innings, averaging 61.75 with a strike rate of 154.69. This was the second time Kohli finished as the leading run-getter in the IPL.

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‘He Loves Proving People Wrong’

Kohli first won the Orange Cap in 2016, amassing 973 runs in that season. In IPL 2024, he notched up one hundred and five fifties.

“He loves proving people wrong, and even though he might not come out and say it, it really fuels his passion. He’s like molten lava coming out. He’s fiery and you don’t want to be anywhere close to it because you’re going to get burned for sure because he’s done this time and time again,” Karthik added.

Virat Kohli’s 2024 IPL season was a demonstration of his flexibility and assurance, hushing pundits and reaffirming his status as one of the chief batsmen in T20 cricket. His presentation has made way for an exhilarating T20 World Cup crusade, where he expects to lead India to brilliance.