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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli has a huge responsibility on his shoulders ahead of a challenging contest against the unbeaten Rajasthan Royals (RR) away from home on Saturday, April 6. The current Orange Cap holder has been among the runs in home conditions and will be keen on replicating similar numbers in away conditions as well.
However, Kohli has not fared well against RR in his IPL career compared to his sky-high standards. He has failed to cross double figures in four of the last six encounters against the inaugural winners, a phase which has included a couple of run-outs and a golden duck against Trent Boult.
Overall, he has played 29 matches against RR, scoring 618 runs, including two fifties, at an average of 25.75 and a strike rate of 114.44, both of which are his second-lowest against a particular franchise.
It took seven innings for Kohli to breach the 20-run mark against RR, and it was not until 2015 that he recorded his first fifty against them. Kohli had a purple patch against Rajasthan during the lockdown phase where he scored two unbeaten fifties, but it has brought about a dry spell that goes on until now.
What is Kohli's IPL record at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium?
Virat Kohli has a rather woeful record at RR's home venue - Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. In eight matches on the ground, Kohli has scored only 149 runs at an average of 21.29 and a strike rate of 94.30. He has recorded a strike rate over 100 at the venue only on three occasions in the past.
His most recent appearance at the venue came during the 2023 season, where RCB recorded a mammoth win. However, it was a forgettable encounter for Kohli with the bat as he departed for 18 runs off 19 deliveries off KM Asif's bowling.
Kohli will be keen to rectify his record at the venue, and the kind of form that he is in, runs should not come as a surprise to fans and pundits alike. The ace batter will have to work hard for his runs as he is up against a formidable RR bowling unit from top to bottom.
