New Delhi, April 3 – Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower has assured fans that star batter Virat Kohli is absolutely fine and there is no cause for concern after he sustained a minor finger injury while fielding against Gujarat Titans (GT).
The incident occurred during the 12th over of Gujarat’s chase of a 170-run target at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Kohli, attempting to save a boundary, injured his finger as the ball deflected off his hand and crossed the rope. In visible discomfort, Kohli received on-field treatment from the team physio but eventually walked off the field with persistent pain. Despite this, Flower later confirmed that Kohli’s condition is stable.
Gujarat Titans comfortably chased down the target, winning the match by eight wickets. The turning point, according to Flower, was the toss and the dew that affected bowling in the second innings. He remarked that the pitch didn’t behave like a typical Chinnaswamy track and that the ball held a bit in the first half of the game. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that Gujarat outplayed RCB, especially with a standout performance by Mohammed Siraj.
Siraj, who was previously part of RCB for seven seasons before being released, made a strong statement by taking three wickets for just 19 runs against his former team. Flower praised his accuracy and ability to consistently attack the stumps. He also extended best wishes to Siraj for future matches.
While RCB’s batting saw early collapses during the powerplay, Liam Livingstone held the innings together with a 54-run knock off 40 balls. Jitesh Sharma (33) and Tim David (32) also contributed useful runs, helping RCB post 169/8. However, the total fell short as GT chased it down with ease.
Flower acknowledged that the early loss of wickets during the powerplay put RCB under pressure but credited his middle-order batters for showing resilience. He mentioned that the team has been well-balanced this season, thanks to a good auction strategy.
Currently led by Rajat Patidar, RCB will now get a short break before their next match against Mumbai Indians on April 7 at Wankhede Stadium, where they will face off against Hardik Pandya’s side.
