Former CSK spinner Harbhajan Singh has laid a strong caution for Virat Kohli, the RCB legend, ahead of the IPL 2024 opening match at Chepauk.
The IPL 2024 season will be kicked off at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, also known as Chepauk, in Chennai with defending champions Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, hosting Faf du Plessis’ RCB on March 22.
Speaking with Star Sports, Harbhajan Singh pointed at Virat Kohli’s stats at Chepauk in the IPL and mentioned that the surface in Chennai is very different from the one Kohli regularly plays at RCB’s home ground at the Chinnaswamy stadium. Chepauk is generally known for its dry pitch that aids spinners and variation bowlers significantly.
In 12 IPL matches at the Chepauk, Virat Kohli has an ordinary record: 362 runs at an average of 30 with a strike rate of only 111. This average of 30 is the lowest for Kohli among the venues where he’s played at least 10 IPL matches, and he hasn’t hit a fifty here in the IPL since 2013.
The greatness of Virat has been reduced in terms of his performances at Chepauk: Harbhajan
Harbhajan Singh reckons Kohli’s legacy is “reduced” by his ordinary numbers in Chennai. RCB failed to reach the playoffs last season despite Kohli racking up two centuries.
Harbhajan said, “The greatness of Virat has been reduced in terms of his overall performance at that venue. It is a tricky venue to bat, especially as an opening batter against a sort of weird tennis ball type bounce. They’ve got the great Jadeja bowling stump to stump. He’ll get the odd ball to turn and then the odd ball to stay low. It’s really tricky.”
“If he’s actually prepared to bat about 20 overs, then he can put together a match-winning performance because two hundreds at the Chinnaswamy do not necessarily guarantee the same at Chepauk.”
The 43-year-old opined that Virat Kohli needs to have a bumper IPL season as he did in 2016 – when he scored 973 runs – for RCB to go deep in the tournament this year.
“It’s important for him to have a season like 2016, because if Virat goes on to score runs, the team will go forward. I don’t know if they will go on to win the cup or not,” added Harbhajan.
Also Read: ‘Aap Toh RBI Ke Dost Ho’: Rishabh Pant Teased KL Rahul In Meet Before IPL Ad; Video
