Virat Kohli labelled Sanju Samson's unbeaten 92 a "brilliant" knock in the aftermath of Royal Challenger Bangalore's 19-run loss to Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday. Samson had begun (relatively) cautiously, scoring 34 off his first 25 balls, before cutting loose.
"Brilliant [innings]. He is a really talented player, we have seen over the years he has done well in the IPL. He has got a good, simple game; quite strong in the crease, very balanced," said Kohli.
READ: Samson blitz helps Royals trump RCB
The RCB captain was asked why Samson seemed to shine in the Indian Premier League every year but had struggled to deliver stand-out performances in domestic cricket. "Sanju can answer that better; I don’t know how he prepares for certain games and formats," said Kohli. "What I have seen of him, he is a really, really talented player and he can bat like that on his day."
Kohli admitted he was surprised by the nature of the pitch, having expected it to be slow. Royal Challenger Bangalore even fielded an extra spinner in Pawan Negi, but the move didn't pay off. "When we saw the wicket, we thought it was going to be slower than the previous game. There was even lesser grass on this one, but it didn’t turn out that way. It surprised all of us. The ball came nicely on to the bat, even late in the first innings. We didn't think it was going to be a 200 plus wicket at any stage," said Kohli.
Meanwhile, RR's Shreyas Gopal was delighted after having dismissed both Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. "When it comes to getting the two biggest players in the world, it doesn’t happen every day. I just need to soak it in. I am privileged and honoured to have got their wickets. It’s a moment that I will always cherish," he said.
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