If 28 runs are scored in an over, you would be pardoned to think Virat Kohli was the one with the bat. But strange things happen in cricket and on one occasion, the great batsman was at the receiving end of the flashing willow.
With limited options available and needing to protect 43 from two overs, then RCB captain Daniel Vettori threw the ball to Kohli as the Royal Challengers Bangalore tried to close a match against Chennai Super Kings in 2012.
Albie Morkel, who was at the crease at the time, took Kohli to cleaners scoring 28 runs off the Kohli over. CSK then scored the remaining 15 in the final over to record an improbable victory.
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Recalling the over, the South African said he sensed an opportunity after the ball was thrown to Kohli.
“Royal Challengers Bangalore had the game in their bag. I have no idea why they bowled Virat. All respect to him, he shouldn’t have bowled that over anyway. We lost a wicket in the last ball of the 18th over,” Albie Morkel said on a YouTube chat for CSK.
“The 19th and 20 were left. We needed 43 off 2. I walked in at No. 7. You look at the scoreboard and you’re like ‘oh no, 40-odd off 2, that’s impossible’. You walk in and then you see Virat’s bowling then I thought ‘if I can connect a few, maybe we can get close’,” he added.
“I think I edged the 1st one for 4 that just missed my stumps. I edge another one just went over the short third man. I started hitting it straight and we eventually got 28 and ended up winning the match with Bravo hitting a couple in the next over,” he continued.
No one will remember Kohli for his bowling exploits but being the winner that he is that one over will always be a thorn in his side.
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