Royal Challengers Bengaluru player Virat Kohli during a warm-up session. (Annie’s photo)
BENGALURU: Ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s previous outing against Lucknow Super Giants, Virat Kohli made an unusual appearance. The star opener went through his pre-match routine with his knee strapped, already suffering from ankle pain which he picked up during the first leg against Mumbai Indians.
When the team roster was announced, his name appeared in an unfamiliar column among the reserves.Go beyond boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!For a player who enjoys being in the middle of the action, watching from the dugout will be far from ideal. However, Kohli made his presence felt when it mattered, coming in to open the innings during the chase as an impact player. This was the first time Kohli was seen in this role. He smoothly slid into top gear, scoring 49 off 34 balls to guide the chase.After the win, Kohli revealed how upset he was. “I was feeling a little pain in my knee in the last match. Even health-wise, I had bad weather for four or five days,” he said.Kohli has not been a strong advocate of the Impact Player rule, but he has embraced the role when circumstances warrant it. Given the intensity with which he approaches the game, adapting to such situations may become necessary as the season progresses.
Teammate Josh Hazlewood confirmed that Kohli is set to feature against Delhi Capitals on Saturday, although he did not rule out the possibility of him continuing as an influential player.“I think he will definitely play,” Hazlewood said. “It’s just a matter of whether it’s appropriate for him to get on the field. It will be precautionary, and we will continue to use the influence player role as long as he needs to.”Highlighting the benefit of this rule, the Australian driver added: “Maybe he’s lucky we’ve got this option.
A lot of teams use it for someone coming back from injury or carrying concerns. It’s invaluable when your main skill can still contribute.However, Hazlewood admitted that keeping Kohli off the field is easier said than done. “Obviously I love having him on the field. He’s got a lot of energy, he’s one of our best fielders. But knowing him, he’s not a great observer of cricket. He likes to be out there and have an impact. So I think he’ll be with the physios trying to get back out there.”