Virat Kohli admitted he is still not fully fit despite playing a key hand in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants, revealing after the match that he had been dealing with soreness as well as illness in the lead-up to the contest.
Kohli made 49 off 34 balls in RCB’s chase of 147 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday, helping his side take control of the pursuit before the finishers completed the job with ease. The veteran opener looked fluent through most of his stay and struck six fours and a six, but his post-match comments made it clear that the innings had come in less-than-ideal physical condition.
Speaking during the post-match interview on JioHotstar, Virat Kohli said he was feeling “much better than the last game” but stressed that he was still not at full fitness.
Kohli explains fitness state after key RCB hand
“Yeah, much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. I was sore last game. I was under the weather for the last four-five days. I started off well today. I was happy with my intensity. Would have loved to carry on and finish the game,” Kohli said.
The remarks add context to an innings that was important without turning into one of his signature match-defining knocks. In a modest chase, Kohli gave RCB early assurance and helped prevent a collapse or panic against an LSG attack that had little scoreboard pressure. His contribution also came at a time when there had already been attention on his fitness after he did not field in the previous game and this one due to injury concerns.
That is what makes this update particularly significant for RCB. Kohli is not only central to the side’s batting plans, but also one of the team’s key on-field presences. Even in a game where the target was manageable, his comments suggested he was assessing the outing as much through his body’s response as through the runs he made.
Kohli also hinted that batting was not quite as straightforward as the final margin might suggest, pointing to a change in the surface as the chase progressed.
“The wicket slowed down. You have to take conditions into consideration,” he said, suggesting that he had read the pitch well and would have preferred to stay till the end.
For RCB, the immediate positive is that Kohli looked freer than he did in the previous outing and played with intent. But his own words also served as a reminder that, even after another useful contribution in a winning cause, he is still working his way back to full sharpness.
