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South African batting great AB de Villiers believes Virat Kohli deserves to win an IPL title with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Kohli, RCB's talisman for 17 seasons, is yet to lift the IPL trophy despite the team finishing runners-up thrice -- 2009, 2011, and 2016, while making it to the play-offs nine times.
De Villiers, who played for RCB for 11 seasons from 2011 to 2021, dismissed concerns over Kohli's strike rate.
'It's great to see him stepping out of his comfort zone, trying new shots, and exploring different aspects of his game. He's always had that ability in him. You can see how much it means to him.'
'Winning the IPL with RCB would be the perfect finishing touch to his already phenomenal career. He was outstanding last season,' AB told JioHotstar.
Last season, RCB defied the odds to win their last six league games to qualify for the play-offs. Kohli led the charge, striking 741 runs in 15 matches at a striker rate of 154.70, hitting five fifties and one century.
'His strike rate wasn't the problem, he played exactly the role his team needed him to. Unlike someone like Fraser McGurk for Delhi Capitals, Virat had the responsibility of holding the innings together. He deserves full credit for playing a crucial role in RCB's qualification,' stated de Villiers.
Kohli is the IPL's all-time leading run-getter, amassing 8,004 runs in 252 matches at a strike rate of 131.97, with eight centuries and 55 fifties.
De Villiers is unhappy with his former team-mate face scrutiny over his strike rate without understanding his role in the team.
'The scrutiny over Virat's strike rate was absolutely ridiculous. He had done exactly what his team needed from him. It's all about the situation,' added de Villiers.
'When he has someone at the other end he trusts, you see him experiment and play with more freedom. But when that's not the case, he stays true to his natural game, anchoring the innings when needed.'