Kohli sustains knee niggle but RCB coach Bangar quells fears

BENGALURU: Virat Kohli sustained a niggle on his right knee during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s last league match against Gujarat Titans, said head coach Sanjay Bangar, who asserted that there is nothing to worry about.

RCB were knocked out of the IPL after going down to Gujarat Titans by six wickets in their must-win game on Sunday. After treating fans with a sensational hundred, Kohli took a brilliant catch to dismiss Vijay Shankar but hurt his knee in the process.

However, the the talismanic India batter was seen limping when after the catch and hurt his knee. A physio attended examined him with Kohli subsequently walking off the field. He watched the last five overs of the game from the dug out.

“Yeah, he had a bit of a niggle in his knee. But I don’t think there is anything serious,” Bangar said a the post-match press conference.

Kohli has been in supreme form, scoring back-to-back hundreds in the last two games against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Gujarat Titans.

“Having scored two back-to-back hundreds within a gap of 4 days. He is somebody who not only wants to contribute with the bat but even when he is fielding. He did a lot of running around. 40 overs a couple of days ago and today, for 35 overs he was on the field.

“He was giving his best. So it is going to bother at some point but I don’t think it’s anything serious,” Bangar added.

Kohli is among seven Indian players who fly out to England on Tuesday to begin preparation for the all-important World Test Championships final against Australia, starting June 7.

Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara, who playing county cricket in England, will also link up with the squad there.

My job is to bowl tight overs: Rashid ======================= With conditions becoming increasingly batter-friendly, Gujarat Titans star spinner Rashid Khan counts each dot ball as a wicket in the T20 format.

The Afghan leg-spinner is second on the list of the leading wicket-takers after the end of league stage of the IPL with 24 scalps from 56 overs at an economy rate of 7.82.

“In IPL and T20, every dot ball is like a wicket. I count it as wicket for me as the boundaries are shorter and batters are going after every ball,” Rashid said.

“This IPL with the “Impact Player” you have the advantage of that one more batter. So while bowling in the middle overs, I always have one thing in the mind ‘keep bowling dot balls and good deliveries, as many as you can’.” The 24-year-old, who has been playing in the IPL since 2017, has always been among the most economical bowlers in the league with a career economy rate of 6.57.

“I’m trying my best to keep as tight as possible which really helps the bowler at the other end to get the wickets.” The GT vice-captain was lavish in his praise for teammate Shubman Gill, who has scored two centuries on the trot heading into the Qualifier 1 against Chennai Super Kings.

“Shubman is someone who has been working hard and he’s someone who has the belief that I can make (convert) those 50s-60s into hundreds. He has been a very consistent player for us.”