Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra showered praise on Virat Kohli after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran completed 9000 IPL runs on Monday. Playing against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Kohli needed only 11 runs to reach the milestone.
He became the first batter in the IPL history to reach the landmark. Chopra said no one is going to come close to Kohli’s record. Kohli scored an unbeaten knock of 23 runs off 15 balls when RCB were chasing a mere total of 76 runs against the hosts.
“The small total had to be chased easily. Virat Kohli became the first player to score 9,000 runs in the IPL, and no one is going to come close to him because this guy is not going to stop now. He might go past 10,000 or 11,000, wherever he actually finishes,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.
Chopra said Kohli might end his IPL career with 12000 runs whereas he also praised Devdutt Padikkal for scoring a quickfire knock of 34 runs off 13 balls.
“It will take a little time to go beyond that. He is super fit, but he is also getting old. Eventually, at some stage, he will say it’s enough. If he has three 600 to 700-run seasons, 2.100 runs, so that makes it 11,000. I am thinking 12,000. Devdutt Padikkal was once again sublime with the bat. He is batting extremely well,” he observed.
On the other hand, the former Delhi cricketer questioned Delhi Capitals’ batting display after the home team were bundled out for 75 runs.
“You lost six wickets in the Powerplay overs. Only dot balls were happening. A score lower than this has not been scored in the first six overs to date. All Delhi guys collapsed against swing. Extremely ordinary batting,” he said.
“A little swing was available and the bowling was slightly good, but Delhi’s batting left a lot to be desired. You can call it absolutely shambolic batting if you want. I do get it that it happens once in a while. A match like that comes in three to five years,” Chopra observed.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, on Thursday.
