Ambati Rayudu continued taking jibes at Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), this time after Kolkata Knight Riders were crowned as champions of the IPL 2024.
KKR defeated SRH in a one-sided final in Chennai by 8 wickets. SRH opted to bat first after Pat Cummins won the toss, but could only manage 113 runs with Mitchell Starc ripping the top order and Andre Russell taking three wickets.
In response, Venkatesh Iyer made 52*, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz made 39 runs as KKR won the match in the 11th over with 8 wickets in hand.
After KKR won the final and celebrated their hearts out, former Indian star and now commentator Ambati Rayudu appeared to poke fun at Royal Challengers Bengaluru icon Virat Kohli during the post-match celebrations.
Rayudu believes that more than individual achievements, such as Virat Kohli’s earning of the Orange Cap, it is the team effort that led to the triumph.
“Stalwarts like Narine, Russell & Starc and also contributed to the team’s win. That’s how a team wins the IPL. We have seen this over the years. It’s not the Orange Cap that wins you the IPL but it is the contributions like 300 runs from many,” Rayudu said on Star Sports.
It was Virat who raced away with the top-scorers title this year, aggregating over 700 runs his team was knocked out in the Eliminator by Rajasthan Royals.
“Virat Kohli should lower his standards” – Ambati Rayudu says his achievements put pressure on other batters
RCB’s squads have included Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Mitchell Starc, Shane Watson, and others, yet the IPL crown remains elusive. While Kohli has been a regular performer for the team, and Rajat Patidar’s late return to form, as well as Yash Dayal’s appearances in crucial moments, RCB’s season as a whole has been hit and miss.
Rayudu even suggested that Virat should lower his standards as other batters in the team feel pressured string to match the contributions of the India great.
“Virat Kohli is a stalwart and a legend there in the team. He sets so high standards which puts pressure on the youngsters to emulate him. So, Virat needs to lower his standards a bit so that the youngsters can be in a good state of mind in the dressing room,” Rayudu stressed.
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