An aggressive send-off, apparently which was an abusive one, from Virat Kohli to young Rachin Ravindra during the CSK vs RCB IPL 2024 opening match on Friday night in Chepauk has been a hot topic of debate.
CSK defeated RCB by 6 wickets by completing the chase of 174 runs in 18.4 overs.
CSK were given a thrilling start by Rachin Ravindra, who opened in place of the injured Devon Conway. Ravindra, on his IPL debut, smashed 37 runs in 15 balls, walloping three fours and as many sixes. This rapid-fire start from Rachin got CSK to 62 runs in the powerplay and set the tone for other batters to complete the chase with comfort.
After Rachin got out in the 7th over of CSK’s innings, Virat Kohli gave him a mouthful, apparently dropping the F-word. Kohli showed Rachin a finger toward the dressing room and hurled down an expletive.
A section of fans were unhappy with Virat Kohli’s actions toward the 24-year-old. This further showed how important that wicket of Ravindra was for RCB if it brought out such emotions and reactions from Kohli.
Another section of fans defended Kohli, suggesting that the players are all professionals and equals when they step on the field and that Kohli has regularly given send-offs to opposition players.
https://x.com/akkineni_team/status/1771230264762511452?s=20
Here are some fans defending Virat Kohli for his abusive send-off to Rachin Ravindra:
Meanwhile, Kohli couldn’t do much with the bat. He scored 21 runs in 20 balls with the help of only one six. Kohli had set himself in for a long innings. However, he holed out at deep mid-wicket trying to pull Mustafizur Rahman. Kohli was dismissed via a brilliant relay catch by Rahane and Rachin.
RCB managed 173 runs after a 95-run partnership in 50 balls between Karthik and Anuj Rawat that came after a collapse of the top-order. In the chase, CSK kept attacking and eventually, contributions from five of the top six led them to a convincing victory.
Also Read: CSK vs RCB: 3 Reasons Why Virat Kohli Failed To Get Going
