Virat - Rashid - IPL - sportstiger

Picture Credit: Instagram

The Royal Challengers Bangalore and Gujarat Titans are all set to go head to head for a crucial clash in the IPL playoff race. Both teams enter this fixture on varied motives as the Titans have booked their spot in the top four while RCB is still eyeing the last playoff spot. But before this monumental clash, all cricketing fans were treated to a heartwarming moment that symbolises how sports is more than just wins and losses. 

During a training session on the eve of the game, former India and RCB captain Virat Kohli gifted one of his bats to Gujarat leg spinner Rashid Khan. The Afghan player posted the video of this interaction on his Instagram account. The clip was accompanied by a caption that said, “Always a pleasure meeting you @virat.kohli ❤️ Thank you for the gift.”

"Luck needs to change,” Sunil Gavaskar

But unlike Rashid Khan, Virat Kohli isn’t having a great 2022 IPL season as he has just scored 236 runs at an average of 19.67 with a strike rate of 113.46. Several cricketing experts have given their two cents on how Kohli can get out of this slump. 

One such expert was the Little Master, Sunil Gavaskar who talked about how ‘it’s a matter of luck just going his way’. While talking on the pre-match show, Gavaskar said, “What can you tell him? He has got 70 international hundred. There is no advice to give him. Luck needs to change.” 

“Apart from the opposition, every other person wants to see him score runs. There are very few more attractive players in the game than Kohli in the game. When he gets going, the cut shots, the pull shots, the drives, everything is brilliant. It’s a matter of luck just going his way,” he continued. 

“The other day [vs SRH], he played uppishly and it went straight to the fielder. On another day, the fielder could have been 5 yards to the left or right, it could have been a boundary. When luck is not going his way, your first mistake will get you out. Just hope luck runs his way and then he will be back among scoring the big runs,” the 1983 World Cup winner added.