Virat Kohli scored a record-extending 8th IPL century on Saturday to answer those who are doubting his form in the shortest format and whether he should be picked in the T20 World Cup squad. But despite the hundred, his strike rate in T20s continues to be questioned, especially after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lost the game to Rajasthan Royals.
Kohli’s 72-ball 113 not out, which included 12 fours and 4 sixes, wasn’t enough as Rajasthan rode on Jos Buttler’s 100 not out in 58 balls to overhaul RCB’s 183 for 3 in 19.1 overs for a six-wicket win in Jaipur.

Kohli’s hundred came in 67 balls, which is the joint slowest IPL hundred and the stat led Pakistan pacer Junaid Khan to troll the batting legend.

“Congratulations Virat Kohli, on the slowest 100 in the history of IPL,” Junaid tweeted.
Interestingly, Kohli’s strike rate of 156.94 was also questioned by his former team-mate and fellow ODI World Cup winner Virender Sehwag. However, the former India opener also pointed out the fact that Kohli was under pressure as he did not get any support from others in the RCB batting line-up.

“Virat Kohli’s strike-rate could have gone up,” Sehwag said while talking on Cricbuzz in the mid-innings break on Saturday. “Because when you hit 50 off 39 balls, then the strike-rate goes up, nears 200 even. But the other batters did not do anything. All the pressure was on Kohli.
“He (Kohli) is in form. That’s his role, that he will stay till the end. The other batters who have been picked by paying so much money, they should prove their mettle, like (Glenn) Maxwell. But nobody did anything today.”

It was RCB’s fourth defeat in five matches so far this season, which pushed them down to the eight spot on the points table.