Virat Kohli on the secret behind Will Jacks’ maiden IPL hundred: ‘He looked back, I was ready for three, and he decided I am going to hit every ball for six’

Will Jacks was the talk of the T20 town as the 25-year-old smashed a 41-ball-100 to inspire only the third win for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Sunday. While the Englishman got to his fifty off 31 deliveries, he crossed the triple digit score off the next 10 deliveries.

Virat Kohli knows the secret behind the onslaught. The former RCB skipper shared the same in a recent dressing room video posted by RCB. “He (Jacks) called for two and when he looked back I was ready for three, and he decided I am going to hit every ball for six now because I am not running anymore. That was the secret. Brilliant!” Kohli joked. “It was too hot,” Jacks responded.

The Englishman however, was all praise for Kohli’s contribution to his knock on Sunday. Opening up on what helped him get to the triple-figure score, Jacks credited former RCB skipper Virat Kohli for helping him tackle the spinners.

“Virat kind of helped me through my first 15 balls where I was struggling and he showed good intent which is what we had spoken about. That was really good from him and he was keeping us ahead,” Jacks said in a recent video uploaded on the IPL website. “He was giving me tips on playing spin. He said he was reading Rashid well and could take him down which helped me. He has got so much experience, he is amazing to bat with, I learnt so much out there and pretty lucky to have that kind of partnership with him.”

“I was feeling a bit nervous but it was nice to get one away and the confidence just instantly comes back and from there we were trying to get ahead of the game. And the last two overs it was just about having fun. Virat was like, ‘just keep going, don’t stop.’ I never thought about the hundred, but then I looked up, seven to win, I am on 88, you never know. Crazy innings to go from not being able to hit the ball to feeling like I could hit anything,” he added.

On his way to 100, Jacks laced 10 maximums and five fours. Kohli on the other hand, finished with a 44-ball-70.

When Kohli breathed easy after not hitting a six

At the beginning of the 16th over, Jacks stood six runs short of his hundred. On strike however, was Kohli, who would attempt for a maximum off the first delivery but miss. A mishit he didn’t rue as the over progressed.

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“You got your next 50 in 10 balls, 31 (ball) 50, 41 (ball) 100. Second half was your day at the golf course. I was pissed off I didn’t smash the first one (in the 16th over) for six but when I saw you were on 94 and with one to win I was like, ‘thank god I didn’t smash it,” Kohli would tell Jacks in the dressing room at Motera after Sunday’s game.

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