Watch: Virat Kohli‘s boom-or-bust IPL 2023 continued with yet another first-over dismissal – his third this season – against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.
To bet on the IPL with our Match Centre partners bet365, head here.
The previous ball, Jason Behrendorff nearly had Faf du Plessis, but Nehal Wadhera spilt a chance at short mid-on, allowing RCB’s openers to exchange ends. Facing the next one –the fourth ball of the game – Kohli jumped down the track against Behrendorff, but only managed an outside edge as he tried to slash it away.
At first instance, it wasn’t quite clear if the ball had taken an edge, or if it was just early movement, given the high crowd noise inside the stadium. Wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan was confident and immediately gestured at skipper Rohit Sharma, who discussed and opted for a review. Kohli stood his ground, but not for long: replays confirmed a deflection off his bat on its way to Kishan.
Kohli walked back for 1 (4), the third time he has been dismissed in the first over this season. Interestingly, he has hit six fifties in the other eight innings, the joint-most by anyone in IPL 2023. Among all run-getters this season, Kohli is currently fifth, the list led by his skipper and opening partner du Plessis.
The strike rate (135.16), though, is a point of debate: it’s the lowest among the top ten run-scorers this season.
Interestingly, Behrendorff was traded from RCB to MI last November.
RCB and MI are both fighting for a playoff spot: du Plessis’ team is currently sixth, while Rohit’s side is eighth, although both have the same points (10).
