Virat Kohli injury: RCB head coach Sanjay Bangar provides update

Virat Kohli scored 639 runs in IPL 2023 with 2 tons and 6 fifties.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) coach Sanjay Bangar has revealed that ace batter Virat Kohli suffered a small knee injury during his team’s defeat to Gujarat Titans (GT) on May 21 in the final league match of the IPL 2023.

For RCB fans it turned out to be a forgettable one on Monday as their side lost to Gujarat Titans (GT) despite their talisman Virat Kohli scoring a century for the second time in a row. Moreover, the defeat made the game RCB's last of the season as the Mumbai Indians pipped them to the last playoff spot.

Virat Kohli ended the IPL 2023 with 639 runs and 2 centuries and 6 fifties at a strike rate of 139.82. He also went past Chris Gayle’s record of 6 IPL centuries with his 7th one and now holds the record of most centuries in IPL and most runs as well.

“I don't think there is anything serious”- Sanjay Bangar on Virat Kohli’s knee injury

However, after the match, there was some concern seen as Kohli was seen limping off the ground after seemingly damaging his knee while fielding during the Gujarat Titans innings. He sat out for the rest of the match and could be seen sitting with an ashen expression as Shubman Gill scored his own second consecutive century and led GT to victory.

After Gill scored the winning runs, Kohli was then seen hurling his water bottle in frustration before returning to the pitch to applaud the GT players. Along with the rest of the RCB team, he afterwards took a stroll around the stadium to express his gratitude to the supporters.

RCB head coach Sanjay Bangar later assuaged any fears that Indian fans may have had about Kohli's fitness for the WTC final.

“Yeah, he had a bit of a niggle in his knee. But I don't think there is anything serious. Having scored two back-to-back hundreds within a gap of 4 days.

He is somebody who not only wants to contribute with the bat but even when he is fielding. He did a lot of running around. 40 overs a couple of days ago and today, for 35 overs he was on the field. He was giving his best. So it is going to bother at some point but I don't think it's anything serious,” Bangar said in the post-match press conference.