Hyderabad:After knocking a 63-ball hundred besides sharing 172 runs with Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Faf du Plessis, King Kohli said he's least bothered about opinions on his strike rate in the IPL while arguing that he has to stay true to his technique and avoid playing fancy shots considering the Test Tourney round the corner. This is Virat Kohli's first ton in this edition of Indian premier League and sixth in all of IPL. Kohli's century equalled Chris Gayle's for most hundreds in IPL.
During the post-match presentation, Kohli who was adjudged the player of the match for his match winning knock said, "I never look at past numbers. I put myself under so much stress already. I don't give myself enough credit sometimes despite playing impact knocks. (So) I don't care what anyone says on the outside. Because that is their opinion." The question was pointed to his track record against Sun Risers Hyderabad which posted a total of 186 for 5 while batting first and the visitors reached the target with four balls and eight wickets to spare.
No fancy shots-"When you are in that situation yourself, you know how to win games of cricket. I have done that for a long period of time, it is not like when I play I don't win games for my team. I take pride in playing according to the situation. I've never been a guy who plays so many fancy shots. We have to play 12 months of the year. For me, its not about playing fancy shots and throwing my wicket away. It's Test cricket (coming up) after the IPL. I have to stay true to my technique and find ways to win games for my team."
Tattoo bond-"I think it's the tattoos," Kohli said when he was asked to reveal his best performing partnership with du Plessis. "Very similar to how AB and me batting together. There's a good sense of where we (he and du Plessis) are and how to take the game forward. It's been a beautiful transition for us coming together for RCB at the top and making an impact."