Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has showered praise on Virat Kohli after Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered a five-wicket win against Gujarat Titans at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru, on Friday.

Steyn, who shared the same dressing room with Virat Kohli for the franchise, hailed the talismanic batter as the best batter in the run chase. Kohli scored a match-winning knock of 81 runs off just 44 balls in the run chase of 206. The right-hander scored eight fours and four sixes in his brilliant innings as he batted at the top of his game.

The veteran had the rub of the green on his side as he was dropped on zero by Washington Sundar. Kohli has been in prime form in the ongoing season, scoring 328 runs in seven matches at an average of 54.67 and a strike rate of 163.18.

Steyn said on ESPN Cricinfo, “He’s always looking to try and get better. He’s what we talk about. He plays what’s in front of him. He reads the situation. Probably one of the best players that I’ve ever known that reads the situation and calculates how the game needs to be panned out from the first ball that he’s faced. He’s kind of worked out a road to get to the final runs. He’s the best chaser to have ever played the game.”

On the other hand, former West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop hailed Kohli for continuously evolving his game over the years.

He said, “I love Kohli the batter. But the evolution of those numbers for a guy who is in his mid-30s now, [that he] continues to evolve in a game that has gone high-tempo and high-gear is to me extraordinary, that he’s been able to do this and find a role for himself in such a position.”

Royal Challengers Bengaluru will next take on the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi, on Monday.