IPL 2024: Virat Kohli speaks about his 2 month break.
Photo: BCCI
After a match-winning knock of 77 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) clinch a four-wicket victory over Punjab Kings (PBKS), Virat Kohli opened up on his two-month break when he welcomed his second child alongside his wife Anushka. He revealed how he enjoyed not being treated like a celebrity during the hiatus.
Kohli returned to the playing arena at the IPL 2024 , after he skipped India's home Test series against England to spend some time with his family
With the win on Monday night, RCB opened their account in IPL 2024 after suffering defeat in the season's opener against Chennai Super Kings.
"We were not in the country. We were at a place where people were not recognising us. Just time together as a family, just to feel normal for two months. For me, for us as a family, it was a surreal experience... I couldn't have been more grateful to God for the opportunity that I got to spend time with my family," Kohli said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
"And yeah, just the place that we were in, I was telling the guys that when we came back, the voices back home felt that much louder," Kohli said. "I couldn't look up because I was just not used to being called my name for two months. And then immediately you hear these loud noises and then you're back in it all again.
Kohli showcased his dominance with 11 boundaries, including 11 fours and two sixes, during his impressive innings of 77 runs off 49 balls. His remarkable performance single-handedly kept RCB in the chase, before Dinesh Karthik (28* off 10) and Impact Player Mahipal Lomror (17* off 8) provided the final flourish, stitching an unbeaten 48-run stand off 18 balls, to help RCB chased down 177 in the final over.
He was adjudged player of the match for his knock and also takes the orange cap for sitting top of the list of highest run-getters of the season. "Don't get overexcited, it's just two games. I know what this (orange cap) means," said Kohli.
The charismatic batter however expressed his disappointment of not finishing the match. "In T20, I'm opening, I try to give a blazing start. But when wickets start falling, you have to understand the conditions you are playing as well. The wicket wasn't as placid as normal here. I thought I need to play correct shots... I am pretty disappointed couldn't finished the game off in the end but not bad having a bad start for playing after two months and getting back to the tournaments," Kohli said.
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