Virat Kohli is among the most consistent run accumulators in the format, scoring runs almost every time.
Virat Kohli has been the lynchpin of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting order all these years. He has been the leading run-scorer in the league’s history and has played numerous match-winning knocks for the Bengaluru-based franchise.
No wonder Kohli is always the first retention of RCB ahead of any mega auction, and the case remained the same this time. Then they bought several quality batters from the auction and look like a proper team that might compete hard next season.
A lot of experience and quality. Virat Kohli is among the most consistent run accumulators in the format, scoring runs almost every time. He was the leading run-scorer in IPL 2024, winning the Orange Cap for his marvellous batting.
Due to his vast experience, he can be flexible with his batting position and bat as an opener or at No.3 according to the requirement. Kohli has mostly batted as an opener for RCB in the last few years and has done extremely well, though.
Kohli knows how to weave long innings, bats deep and is an ideal anchor in the shortest format. He has game awareness and has shown signs of adapting to the game situation by batting with a fresh approach.
Also Read: RCB in IPL 2025: 3 Factors That Could Decide Their Fate This Season
Virat Kohli’s best position will be at the top, and he should open the innings. He is among the best players of pace and can thwack any length at will, making him an ideal batter to exploit the powerplay overs.
He has adopted a fresh approach and goes hard after bowlers in the first six overs during the field Zrestrictions. While his spin game also saw a significant rise, Kohli’s stronger suit still remains pace bowling and can hit boundaries more consistently against them.
RCB have the spin-hitter Rajat Patidar, who might bat at No.3, so they need a solid pace-hitter around him. It was a combination that worked perfectly last season, and there’s no valid reason to change it.
His superior ability to bat according to the situation will help him slow down the tempo if early wickets fall. In short, Kohli can do what the team wants while opening the innings, unlike at No.3, where he can find it hard to get going due to facing spin immediately with an open field.
While Virat Kohli has been opening the innings for a number of years in the shortest format, his refreshing approach in the last year was the standout feature. He had a strike rate of 161.47 and a balls-per-boundary 4.05 in the powerplay.
His average was 93.25, which shows that he scored quickly in this phase without losing his wicket, making him a dangerous player. Overall, he scored 741 runs at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69 in 15 outings at the top, including five fifties and a century.
The decks in IPL have mostly been flat, and Kohli’s newfound approach can be most extracted while opening the innings. With him and Phil Salt at the top, RCB can form one of the most lethal opening partnerships that can cause serious damage during field restrictions.
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