NEW DELHI: Royal Challengers Bangalore batter Virat Kohli suffered a minor injury to his right knee during his team's crucial clash against Gujarat Titans at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday. However, RCB head coach Sanjay Bangar reassured everyone that there is no cause for concern.
RCB faced a six-wicket defeat at the hands of defending champions Gujarat Titans.
Despite scoring a remarkable century, Kohli also contributed with a fantastic catch to dismiss Vijay Shankar, but unfortunately, he injured his knee during the process.
Kohli was visibly limping after the catch.
He received medical attention from a physiotherapist and subsequently decided to leave the field. He remained in the dugout for the final five overs of the game, watching from there.
"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.
1/10:IPL 2023: Gujarat Titans eliminate Royal Challengers Bangalore
ANI
2/10:GT beat RCB
<p>Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill hit a superb century to outdo Virat Kohli's second successive ton as Royal Challengers Bangalore were eliminated from the IPL on Sunday.</p>PTI
3/10:Shubman Gill
<p>Gill followed his century against Sunrisers Hyderabad with an unbeaten 104 off 52 balls as Gujarat reached 198/4 with five balls to spare for a six-wicket win.</p>PTI
4/10:RCB 197/5
<p>Kohli with 101 not out — his record seventh century in the IPL — anchored RCB to 197/5 but Gill powered Gujarat's run chase by hitting eight sixes and five fours.</p>PTI
5/10:RCB openers
<p>After the start was delayed by nearly an hour because of rain, Kohli and captain Faf du Plessis combined in a 67-run opening stand off 43 balls. </p>PTI
6/10:35-ball 50
<p>But Gujarat spinner Noor Ahmad (2/39) and Rashid Khan (1/24) squeezed the runs in the middle overs as Kohli raised his half-century off 35 balls. </p>PTI
7/10:7 IPL tons
<p>Kohli upped the scoring rate in the death overs with his superb drives on both sides of the wicket and became the first batter in IPL history to score seven centuries. </p>PTI
8/10:Kohli ton
<p>Kohli scooped Mohit Sharma (0/54) to long on in the final over for a single to raise his hundred off 60 balls only to see Gill's brilliance take the win away from his team. </p>PTI
9/10:Match-winner
<p>Gill defied the data favoring teams batting first and winning at Bangalore in the recent past with his superb stroke play. </p>PTI
10/10:Match-winning stand
<p>Gill and Vijay Shankar (53) put on a match-winning stand of 123 runs for the second wicket. </p>PTI"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."
(With inputs from PTI)
