Simon Doull pointed out that Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) Virat Kohli was all fired up against the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Monday, May 1.
The former New Zealand cricketer emphasized that that is how Kohli has played throughout his entire career. Doull opined that if being aggressive on the field brings the best out of the talismanic batter, then he should stick to it.
Speaking to Cricbuzz after RCB's comprehensive 18-run win over LSG in a low-scoring affair, Simon Doull said:
"He [Virat Kohli] was very passionate tonight, wasn't he? Every wicket that went down, it was like he was up. I mean, he plays that way in general terms. I think that's been one of the great things about the way he has played. If he needs that passion to get himself going, I've got no problem with that."
Kohli raised the intensity in Lucknow by being all charged up during LSG's run chase. His energy surely had an impact on his teammates as well, and they delivered a sensational bowling performance to successfully defend a 127-run target.
It is worth mentioning that Virat Kohli was involved in a heated exchange with Afghan bowler Naveen-ul-Haq during the second innings. There was also a face-off between him and LSG mentor Gautam Gambhir after the game.
Both Kohli and Gambhir were fined 100 percent of their match fees in the aftermath of their ugly spat.
"It was a game that RCB dominated" - Simon Doull on LSG's embarrassing loss
Simon Doull further stated that the Bangalore-based side completely dominated the proceedings in the second half of the game. He noted that while Lucknow did try to score runs quickly, they failed to get going.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also highlighted that LSG needed to get off to a flying start in the powerplay to be able to put RCB on the back foot, elaborating:
"It was a game that RCB dominated. LSG were found wanting. They kind of tried to do the right thing in the powerplay. They needed to make the most of the powerplay and try and push for runs. They tried but didn't get it right."
Only one batter from the Lucknow side was able to cross the 20-run mark. Krishnappa Gowtham was the top scorer for LSG, scoring 23 runs before being run out.
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