Ex-India opener Wasim Jaffer believes Virat Kohli‘s hundred in the latest match for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Rajasthan Royals (RR) might have been achieved at the expense of a victory for his team. Heading into the 19th over with just three wickets lost, RCB managed just four runs as Kohli notched his eighth IPL century. They ended their innings at 183/3 after 20 overs, having scored only 18 runs in the last two overs. At 35, Kohli matched Manish Pandey for the slowest IPL century, achieving the feat in 67 balls. Rajasthan Royals pursued the target with ease, winning by six wickets and five balls remaining.
You still have to go hard- Wasim Jaffer on Virat Kohli’s Ton
While discussing on ESPN Cricinfo, Jaffer highlighted the significance of the last two overs in both the RCB-RR and MI-DC matches, noting their impact on the outcomes.
In the RCB game, those 19th and 20th overs have hurt them, even though Virat Kohli got that milestone. Overs of 15 and 20, closer to that, it was the difference in the MI-DC game, that over from Romario Shepherd completely changed the game. If they hadn’t had that over, the game would have gone close. So there is no such place for milestones. If you can get it, good enough, but you still have to go hard,” Jaffer said.
The Mumbai Indians amassed 51 runs in their last two overs, with Romario Shepherd contributing a fiery 32 in the final over, culminating in a total of 234/5 in 20 overs. This explosive finish turned out to be crucial, as it helped them withstand a vigorous chase by the Delhi Capitals, securing a win by 29 runs.
Whether you like it or not that is the approach you need to take- Wasim Jaffer
Wasim Jaffer believes that there should be clear communication with the players about the pursuit of personal milestones and how this can potentially lead to the team’s loss. Centuries have turned into a key factor for selection across all formats, resulting in numerous players focusing on achieving this milestone, especially when they are batting in the 90s.
That’s the need of the hour. That message (not chasing milestones) has to be passed on to the players. Whether you like it or not, if you need to win games, win tournaments, that is the approach you need to take, otherwise you will end up costing the game,” Jaffer said.
Virat Kohli’s century has sparked varied reactions among fans and analysts. Some criticize his slower pace in the 90s, while others argue that the combined tally of just 40 runs from 48 balls by the other batsmen was what truly cost RCB the game. Unfortunately for Virat Kohli, this was the third occasion in the IPL where he ended up on the losing side despite scoring a century.
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