‘Got no doubt that…’, RCB Director of Cricket dissects Virat Kohli’s batting template for IPL 2025

New Delhi: Ahead of the IPL 2024 auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, and Yash Dayal. The franchise chose to release players like Faf du Plessis, Glenn Maxwell, Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Jacks, and Will Jacks. During the auction in Jeddah, RCB acquired Aussie pacer Josh Hazlewood, English batsman Phil Salt, veteran Indian pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, English all-rounder Liam Livingstone, Indian all-rounder Krunal Pandya, Australian Tim David, and former player Devdutt Padikkal, each for ₹2 crores.

The franchise also invested ₹1 crore each on Jitesh Sharma and Lungisani Ngidi. In addition, they acquired Romario Shepherd for ₹1.5 crores and Jacob Bethell for ₹1.25 crores. They also made purchases for players like Swapnil Singh, Mohit Rathee, and others.

As IPL 2025 approaches, Virat Kohli is set to be RCB’s key player, and with Du Plessis being released, Kohli is likely to reclaim the captaincy. In IPL 2024, Kohli adopted a more aggressive batting style, moving away from his usual patient approach, particularly during the powerplay. However, with RCB bringing in several power-hitters during the auction, fans are now speculating about Kohli’s batting position in the upcoming season.

Virat Kohli’s role for IPL 2025:
Explaining Kohli’s role in the team, RCB’s Director of Cricket Mo Bobat hoped that the veteran would follow the same template from last season. “Firstly, Virat’s got a wealth of experience and incredibly high skill. I trust him to figure things out in the middle and to know what to do. You are right, last year, Virat and Faf [du Plessis] role-modelled brilliantly the intent that was required. Virat scored runs throughout the competition, even in that initial period when we weren’t getting results.”

“That isn’t what’s required. We want to make the most of every delivery. Players can be trusted to assess the situation, the conditions out there, and Virat will be no different to anybody else,” he added.

In the previous season, RCB made it to the playoffs, securing fourth place in the league stage. However, they were knocked out by Sanju Samson’s Rajasthan Royals in the Eliminator. Kohli played a crucial role in RCB’s journey, ending the season as the Orange Cap winner by a large margin. He scored 741 runs in 15 matches, well ahead of second-placed Ruturaj Gaikwad, who accumulated 583 runs.