IPL 2023: Ravi Shastri advises Virat Kohli over his strike-rate concerns

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has advised Virat Kohli over the concerns about his strike-rate in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.

Even though Kohli is the fifth leading run-scorer in the IPL 2023, he has been struggling with the pace of his innings. The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batter has scored 419 runs in 10 games at an average of 46.56 and at a strike-rate of 135.16.

In a recent interview, Shastri said that once Kohli finds his groove in the ongoing IPL 2023, he should not slow down.

Even though Kohli recorded his sixth half-century in the underway edition of the IPL earlier this week, Delhi Capitals (DC) defeated RCB by seven wickets and as a result, Kohli’s intent became the topic of discussion yet again.

"Once you get in the tempo, don't worry about the others. That will be my message to Virat. In a T20 game, you don't need that many batsmen. If you are hot keep that going," Shastri told the ESPNCricinfo.

"If you get going, don't change your tempo; try and up the ante," added Shastri.

Shastri used the example of English batter Phil Salt's batting performance against RCB. The DC defeated RCB by seven wickets thanks to Phil Salt's 87 runs off 45 balls. Salt scored 50 off 28 balls, his highest IPL score in a thriller.

"Prime example was Phil Salt. Once he got into the groove, he didn't let go. That is something that could be looked at from Virat's point of view," said Shastri.

Speaking further, Shastri said Delhi bowled well but RCB were 20 runs short in the match.

"Delhi's combination was good. I guess the extra batter (Rilee Roussow ) coming in made a big difference. It allowed the batsman to go hammer and tong; they lost an early wicket. They also bowled well on that surface to restrict RCB. I think they were 20 short," he said.

The picture of Kohli and Sourav Ganguly shaking hands after the DC vs RCB game went viral on social media. The pair had not shaken hands in the previous game, and many fans doubted it was because of the captaincy saga with Kohli when Ganguly was the BCCI president.

Shastri went on to add that how superstar cricketers like Kohli and MS Dhoni are smart enough on the pitch to avoid allowing cameras to capture any of their rage or aggression.

"Players like Dhoni, Kohli, they know that there's a camera on them all the time. And you deserve it for what you have done and achieved in the game. So you can get a lot of brownie points by just being smart on camera," Shastri added.

With 10 points from 10 matches, RCB are fifth in the IPL 2023 table. RCB’s next fixture is against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.