'Don't think he is thinking on...': Michael Vaughan criticises Virat Kohli's performance against spin in IPL 2023

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have been relying heavily on their star batter, Virat Kohli, to deliver the runs in the ongoing IPL season. While Kohli has been consistently scoring half-centuries, his strike rate has been a cause for concern among fans and critics alike.

In their recent match against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Kohli's circumspect approach while chasing a target of 201 drew criticism once again. Despite scoring 54 off 37 balls and hitting six boundaries, Kohli's reluctance to play attacking cricket after the fielding restrictions were lifted did not go unnoticed.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan was among those who were unimpressed with Kohli's batting. He believes that the RCB star is holding himself back and not playing to his full potential.

"I tell you what. I wouldn't mind seeing Virat against spin. A lot of teams are going to bowl spin against Virat because his strike rate becomes different. I think it’s around 107 against spin so most teams are going to bowl spin against Virat Kohli. They are going to put three on the boundary and he is going to knock it into that. I would love him to dance down and wipe one out of the ground. I just think he is that good that he can hit sixes. His mindset in t20 cricket after the six, powerplay is to almost be there till the 18th over. I don't think he is thinking on boundaries enough. He's still got to think boundaries in T20 cricket it’s very important," Vaughan said on Cricbuzz.

During the RCB-KKR match, the hosts unfortunately suffered a 21-run loss. Virat Kohli began the game with an impressive start, but his momentum slowed down after the powerplay. Despite this setback, Kohli had no choice but to lead his team in a daunting chase of 201 runs, as RCB continued to lose wickets at regular intervals.

However, Michael Vaughan believes that Kohli possesses the necessary skills to turn the game around and emerge victorious.

"He doesn't hit behind square; he goes with the pull shot over backward square leg we saw in the Powerplay. But once those 6 overs are over and he pats them on the leg side, he very rarely looks to be going to be hitting boundaries and I think he can. He's got the game, power and timing and say 'Alright, I need a six' He needs to bring that to the RCB team particularly situations they found themselves yesterday because you can't just rely on cameos from that middle order. You’ve got to continue with the mentality of that first six. I’d like to see him take a couple more risks," he added.

While Kohli's performance has been commendable, it is important for him to strike a balance between scoring runs and maintaining a high strike rate. As the IPL season progresses, all eyes will be on Kohli to see if he can step up his game and lead his team to victory.

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