An IPL title has eluded Virat Kohli for 17 years, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru coach Andy Flower praised the star cricketer for his enduring “hunger” for the game.
Bengaluru were knocked out of the Indian Premier League playoffs by Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday in Ahmedabad with a distraught Kohli tipping the bails after the four-wicket loss.
Kohli, 35, has led the Twenty20 tournament’s batting charts with 741 runs, including a century and five fifties, but failed to inspire his team to the finish in a roller-coaster season.
Flower said he was looking forward to watching the India cricket hero bat in the T20 World Cup starting June 1 in the West Indies and the United States.
“Working in the same dressing room with him has been a real pleasure,” former Zimbabwe captain and England coach Flower told reporters.
“As an ex-batsman it has been an absolute pleasure to watch him bat.”
Kohli hit 33 in the do-or-die clash at the world’s biggest cricket stadium and remained a force in the field as he ran out Dhruv Jurel with a bullet throw from the outfield.
“The way he thinks about the game – and he backs that up with an amazing level of skill, aggression and hunger – I look forward to watching him in the World Cup,” Flower said.
“I think it’s amazing that he is still evolving his game, even though he has got an incredible record already,” he added.
Unfortunately, sport is not a fairytale and our remarkable run in #IPL2024 came to an end. Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis and Dinesh Karthik express their emotions and thank fans for their unwavering support.
