Virat Kohli is a master in run chases.
Credit: DH Photo/SK Dinesh
Bengaluru: Few cricketers exude the composure and precision under pressure that Virat Kohli does during a chase. Over the years, he has built a reputation as the ultimate pursuer in white-ball cricket, blending technical acumen with steely resolve to turn tricky to daunting targets into meticulously crafted wins.
The greatest challenge in a chase is handling pressure. Many celebrated batters have wilted under it, but Kohli seems to come alive when the stakes soar. He doesn’t just endure pressure, he embraces it. As they say, pressure is pleasure.
Unlike previous seasons, the pitches this year have offered bowlers some much-needed assistance, exposing batters with shaky techniques. Kohli, possessing rock-solid basics, has navigated these testing surfaces masterfully. Yet, what truly elevates him isn’t just his technical excellence, but the methodical way he breaks down a chase.
This IPL, the right-hander has already played a few memorable knocks, and his innings against Delhi Capitals on a tricky surface was another masterclass. His 51 off 47 balls was far from what has come to be expected as an ideal T20 knock, but coming at 26/3 in pursuit of 163, it was exactly what the situation demanded. And in this RCB line-up, nobody else could have anchored the innings the way Kohli did.
On a pitch where cross-batted shots invited disaster, playing through the line and waiting for the right ball and the right opportunity was the need of the hour, and Kohli, in the company of a ruthlessly efficient Krunal Pandya, showcased a textbook chase, executed to perfection.
“Whenever there’s a chase or the situation I go in, I keep checking with the dugout, whether we’re on course,” Kohli told the host broadcaster after the match.
Kohli approaches a target like solving a complex puzzle. He assesses the conditions, calculates a realistic asking rate, realises the bowlers to target, knows when to accelerate and when to consolidate.
“(I look at) the total on the board. What the conditions are like. Who are the bowlers that are due to bowl. Who are the bowlers that are going to be hard to get away,” Kohli offered as to how he goes about his chase.
Flat pitches
The flat pitches, big bats and shorter boundaries have given licence for batters to reduce bowlers to mere participants in a game of cricket. But the moment they encounter a pitch with a few posers for the batters, they struggle to find answers. Kohli’s observation in that regard -- the art of constructing partnerships -- was instructive.
“I try and make sure my singles and doubles don’t stop so that the game doesn’t get stagnant. I think this year around, you are seeing that you can’t just come out and tee off from ball one. You need to have professionalism to read the situation and try and get into a position where you can start dominating the bowlers. And for that, you need to string in a partnership.
“It won’t come easy if on a slow pitch you don’t know how to rotate the strike. That’s pretty much my method: analyse the conditions, understand what the score on the board is, understand what the situation demands of me, and have the skills to keep rotating the strike,” he explained.
Kohli’s supreme fitness too plays a critical part in his game. In chases, lack of fitness can lead lapses in concentration, but Kohli’s elite conditioning ensures he maintains intensity even in the final overs. The way he ran a four against Rajasthan Royals in a day game after fielding for 20 overs in sweltering Jaipur was a reflection of his uncompromising work ethic.
All these physical and mental attributes seamlessly combine to make him inarguably the greatest chaser ever.