New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar believes Gujarat Titans paid a heavy price for dropping Virat Kohli, early in the chase, that helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) seal a five-wicket win.

After being put in to bat, GT posted a competitive 205/3, but a crucial moment unfolded in the very first over of RCB’s chase when Kohli was dropped on zero by Washington Sundar off the bowling of Mohammed Siraj. The missed opportunity proved decisive as Kohli went on to anchor the chase with a brilliant 81 off 44 balls, guiding the defending champions towards victory.

“That dropped catch of Virat Kohli off Siraj’s bowling definitely cost Gujarat Titans a lot. We all know he is not just known as a king. He is known as a chase master as well. He loves these kinds of situations where he comes in to bat, knows the target, and can play according to the situation,” Gavaskar told JioStar, reacting to the ‘turning point’ of the game.

Speaking about the impact of the early reprieve, he added, “You drop him on the first ball, then he will definitely make you pay. That is exactly what he did. After that dropped catch, what a knock he has played.”

Kohli’s innings not only laid the foundation for the chase but also saw him achieve milestones, becoming the first player to reach 800 fours in IPL history and only the third to hit 300 sixes in the tournament.

Gavaskar further highlighted Kohli’s mastery in run chases, stating, “Chasing down huge totals with ease has been Virat’s trademark batting style throughout his career. GT must be thinking about that dropped catch. At one point in the run chase, when the spinners were bowling, the ball was gripping a bit. It would not have been that easy once the ball got a little older. But this man is one of the greatest in the game. He made it look easy.”

In addition to Kohli’s brilliance, Gavaskar also praised Devdutt Padikkal for his aggressive approach in the middle overs, where he scored a quickfire 55 to keep RCB ahead of the required rate.

“Devdutt Padikkal played an excellent innings. Virat Kohli rightly pointed out after the match that Padikkal has been hitting some very clean cricketing shots. Earlier, he was seen as an off-side player. His main scoring areas were cover and mid-off. He used to struggle on the on-side. But now he has overcome that limitation. He is hitting sixes and boundaries behind square as well,” Gavaskar said.

He also underlined the significance of Padikkal’s evolution for RCB’s batting depth. “This adds to RCB’s batting strength. They have Devdutt at number three and captain Rajat Patidar at number four. Both can hit sixes from the first ball. That is making a big difference for RCB right now,” he mentioned.

With contributions from both Kohli and Padikkal proving vital, RCB continued their strong run in the tournament, capitalising on key moments to outplay GT in a high-scoring encounter.

–IANS

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