Last updated: March 18, 2025

‘He Has Taken Unnecessary Criticism’: Former RCB Player’s HUGE Statement on Virat Kohli Ahead of IPL 2025

He believes Virat Kohli is affected by "outside noise."

Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) player AB de Villiers supported his long-time friend and star batter Virat Kohli ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Kohli faced some harsh criticism regarding his strike rate last season. However, RCB made a stunning comeback to win six matches in a row to qualify for the playoffs. This was a huge turnaround after losing seven out of their first eight games.

Despite the team’s brilliant effort in the second half of the IPL 2024, fans were unhappy due to the former skipper’s slower approach in his batting. Heading into the T20 World Cup, many questioned Kohli’s place in India’s playing XI. They considered that the star player had lost his ability to perform well in 20-over matches.

However, the former Indian captain shut down all his critics as he became the top run-getter in India’s T20 World Cup triumph. He scored 151 runs in eight matches including a vital 76 against South Africa in the final.

Notably, Kohli announced his retirement from T20Is following India’s win in the T20 WC.

Plenty left in the tank for Virat Kohli

The former South African captain feels that Kohli has been pressurised by the “unnecessary criticism” of the cricketing world. The batter acknowledged that these “influences” players’ minds while admitting the same happened with him too.

“I feel Virat’s taken unnecessary criticism over the last few seasons. I feel he’s batting incredibly well. There’s no doubt some of the outside noise has maybe influenced him a bit. We’re all human, after all. There was lots of outside noise in my playing days that had an effect on me, not necessarily my performance, but you do think about it. You’re only human”, ABD said to Hindustan Times during Star Sports Press Room.

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However, the former IPL teammate of Kohli backed him to have a brilliant upcoming season after retiring from the format last June. He feels RCB’s strong batting order will complement the batter and he could play his natural game without any pressure.

“Yes, he might have called retirement on international T20 cricket, but I feel there’s plenty left in the tent for Virat, especially with a batting line-up. RCB has got this season. I don’t think Virat’s going to feel a lot of pressure. He can just really go out there and play what he sees in front of him. And that is when Virat is at his absolute best when he plays the situation”, he explained.

De Villiers on RCB chances this year

While predicting the franchise’s fortune in the 18th edition, de Villiers opined that the team is “incredibly” balanced. However, he believes the scheduling of RCB could trouble them more than the lack of a main spinner in their squad.

“RCB have an incredibly good balanced team. Their scheduling is going to be I think a bigger obstacle than the spinner that they’re lacking. I think they only lack an X-factor spinner, right? Krunal Pandya is a wonderful spinner. We’ve seen him over the years perform very consistently and he can chip in with the bat as well. They have some other options as well”, he stated.

Moreover, the legendary player lauded the inclusion of Phil Salt and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar into the team. The former Kolkata Knight Riders’ opener has been acquired by RCB after a swashbuckling season in 2024. Experienced bowler Bhuvaneshwar is also making a comeback into his former franchise following his release from the Hyderabad-based team after a long stint of 10 years.

“Look at that batting lineup. It is pure power. There’s a mix between power and also control. I think Virat’s really going to enjoy batting with Phil Salt. And the bowling department, Bhuvi Kumar’s experience, I think that’s going to be great for them”, de Villiers added.

He also made a slight joke about Australian pacer Hazelwood’s fitness by stating to “wrap” him in “cotton wool.”