Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra said Virat Kohli played a slow knock against the Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Sunday. Kohli scored 50 runs off 38 balls with the help of five fours and one six and scored his runs at a strike rate of 131.58, the lowest for any RCB batter who faced more than 10 balls.

While Phil Salt got off to a blistering start, Kohli could not match his opening partner and failed to find regular boundaries in the Powerplay overs.

“Virat Kohli actually scored very slow runs. If you look at it in the context of the match, you feel it doesn’t matter as you won, but if you see it from the cricketing lens, it was a very slow knock. This kind of knock is unbecoming of this contest, and neither is it becoming of Virat,” Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

“He was trying, but it just did not come off. In fact, he was probably so distracted that he wasted two reviews on wide balls. That just told me something about his mindset. He was injured as well. Maybe that is a bit of an issue because it was the first time I didn’t see him come to field. So he was injured and the knock was slow as well,” he added.

The renowned commentator praised Phil Salt, who scored a whirlwind knock of 78 runs off just 36 balls, including six fours and as many sixes.

“We saw a very good assault from Phit Salt. I was only saying whether Jacob Bethell could be played. He said, ‘Quiet sir, I am there.’ Phil Salt’s batting was top-class because a good start was necessary. It was an opening partnership of more than 100 runs. When Phil Salt starts hitting, he doesn’t stop,” he observed.

Chopra also lauded RCB skipper Rajat Patidar for his aggressive batting. Patidar scored a majestic knock of 53 runs off just 20 balls with the help of four fours and five sixes.

“How well Rajat Patidar is batting. He hit 14 sixes in the entire last year, which is excellent as he made the team win. However, he has already hit 18 sixes now. He has hit 10 sixes in the first 10 balls he has faced. Only four innings have happened, and he has hit 10 sixes in just the first 10 balls. That acceleration is monstrous,” he said.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on Lucknow Super Giants at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Wednesday.