Virat Kohli on the field is orchestra conductor, puppet master, and director all rolled into one. It will be no different in IPL 2025. He’s not RCB’s captain, but for those who will buy IPL tickets for RCB matches, he will almost always be the main attraction. The IPL schedule has a blockbuster opening, reprising the first-ever IPL match with RCB taking on KKR. The rain gods have added their own intrigue, with an “orange alert” issued for the city of Kolkata for match-day on March 22. Fans might therefore have to wait to see Kohli. What can they expect when they do see him on field though?
Kohli post T20Is
He has formally retired from T20I cricket after the win in the World Cup in June. So the IPL remains the only T20 cricket that Kohli will play. Whatever aspect of his shortest-format game he wants to work on, or test out, will have to be done during the IPL months. Of course, he can – and he will – train for it in the nets and in the gym, but any new tactic or method can only be truly tested in the heat of battle. If, for example, Kohli thinks he ought to bring the square cut back, or he wants to slog-sweep more, he will naturally practise accordingly. But when the asking rate is inching north of 10, and it’s a key moment in the game with a spinner coming on, executing the slog-sweep to perfection so that the bowler is thrown off his lengths becomes a tiny bit harder. Kohli will not have the filling of gaps that T20Is provided earlier to hone any of that. The good news, of course, is that there isn’t that much in his game that needs serious upskilling anyway. And as far as training goes, Kohli sets the standard worldwide.
The 2024 transformation
Kohli was the highest run-getter in IPL 2024 of course. The bare stats say he got 741 runs at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 155. Averages in T20 cricket can be misleading, but even so, looking at Kohli’s 2024 season as a whole would give an inaccurate picture. Kohli had an IPL of two halves. In the first six games, his strike rate was 141.8 – acceptable a few years ago, but short of what was needed from an opener in the Impact Player era.
The course correction was as spectacular as you’d expect with Kohli. In the next nine games, his strike rate rose to 166, while the average was still above 50. That dynamism at the top did two things: infuse RCB with an energy that meant they mounted the mother of all comebacks to qualify for the playoffs, and show the world Kohli’s incredible range. He might have batted in a more conservative manner in T20s before, but once he set his mind to it, he could strike with the best of them.
Will we continue to see that version of Kohli in this IPL? If he has confidence in the batting line-up behind him, we should.
Kohli under Rajat Patidar
The last time Kohli had Indian captains in the IPL was when he played under Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, way back in 2008-10. Even in the Indian team, Kohli hasn’t played under a player so ‘junior’ to him, so to speak. For his part, Kohli has come out with ringing endorsements for Rajat Patidar. “I just wish him all the very best and I would request all the fans to show him absolute support, get right behind him and know that he will always and always do what’s best for the team,” Kohli had said when Patidar was unveiled as captain last month.
Then just before IPL 2025, he said, “He has got a great head on his shoulders, and he will do a great job for this amazing franchise and take the team forward.”
From brash youngster to conqueror of the world to leader, Kohli has seen it all. This time, he’ll be firmly in the elder statesman role. If the past is any indication, he’ll likely ace that one too.
