IPL 2019: Virat Kohli grinds it out in baseball-inspired training session - Watch

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has posted a video of a baseball-inspired training session in Bengaluru, showing him hard at work in preparation for their upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2019 matches.

RCB began their campaign with a poor display against Chennai Super Kings. The Bengaluru-based outfit folded up for a mere 70 runs in 17.1 overs and the modest target was convincingly overhauled by CSK as they secured a seven-wicket win.

Kohli, who has been in great knick for quite some time, failed to get going in the IPL opener and made just six runs off 12 balls before getting out to a Harbhajan Singh delivery. The Indian national team captain has been with the Royal Challengers Bangalore since the franchise’s inception in 2008 but has never won an IPL title.

Also read: Kings XI Punjab’s Predicted XI against Kolkata Knight Riders

The batsman is under pressure to deliver the title this year, and former India international and two-time IPL champion Gautam Gambhir has been scathing in his criticism of Kohli’s leadership qualities.

“I don’t see him as a shrewd captain or a tactful captain. And he hasn’t won the IPL”, Gambhir said on Star Sports’ analysis show ahead of IPL 2019.

He went on to add that the Kohli should be thankful to RCB for persisting with him despite repeated failures.

“So ultimately a captain is only as good as his record till the time you don’t win the IPL. There are people who have won the trophy three times - MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma. So I think he has a long way to go. You cannot compare him to someone like Rohit or Dhoni at this stage because he has been part of RCB and captaining RCB for the last seven to eight years and he has been very lucky and should rather thank the franchise that they stuck to him because not many captains have got such a long run where they haven’t won a tournament,” Gambhir added.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders Predicted XI against Kings XI Punjab

However, Kohli is not keeping any stone unturned in his preparations for the upcoming games as he showed during a baseball-inspired training session in Bengaluru.

RCB will play their next match against Mumbai Indians in Bengaluru on Thursday.