SOURCE ; NEW18
Last Updated:April 25, 2025, 10:33 IST
On Thursday, Virat Kohli was once again at his excellent best and smashed 70 runs off 42 deliveries, as Royal Challengers Bengaluru posted a whopping 205/5 in 20 overs.
Virat Kohli played a 42-ball 70-run knock against RR at the Chinnaswamy Stadium (Picture credit: BCCI)
Former Australia and Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter Aaron Finch has said that when someone like Virat Kohli is in the team, offering around 650 runs every season, the bunch of batters is happy to bat around him and go the aggressive way, while he holds one end up even if the strike rate is not sky-high.
The game against the Rajasthan Royals on Thursday in Bengaluru saw Kohli keep up the pressure on Orange Cap leader Sai Sudharsan.
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On Thursday, Kohli was once again at his excellent best and smashed 70 runs off 42 deliveries, as Bengaluru posted a whopping 205/5 in 20 overs.
“Yes, I mean, if you are offered 650, 700 runs at the start of the year, from one of your top-three batters. No matter whether your strike rate is 150 or 200, you would take that every single day because that just allows your team the platform to play around,” Finch said while speaking on ESPNCricinfo.
“That’s when you can put some cowboys in the middle order, ultra-high risk and they tried to do that with Livingstone and it hasn’t quite worked. Last year, Maxwell played that high-risk game as well and Patidar is looking to be overly aggressive as well. So it just allows you a platform, you know, once Virat gets in, very rarely does he get out at 30,” Finch added.
Kohli’s form has been crucial for Bengaluru in IPL 2025, who are third in the points table with 12 points in nine matches, which includes six victories and three losses.
Kohli (70 off 42 balls) and Devdutt Padikkal (50 off 27 balls) controlled the middle overs with a stand of 95 for the second wicket on Thursday.
After getting a four off a thick inside edge, Kohli pulled Archer for a boundary to the deep square leg region.
Back on strike, Kohli flicked a Deshpande ball that was asking to be punished for a four as Bengaluru crossed 50 in the fifth over. With another hit to the fence, off Sandeep Sharma, Kohli helped RCB finish the power play with 59 runs on the board.
RCB play their next match against the Delhi Capitals on Sunday, April 27 at the latter’s home.
