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STUMP VISION APRIL 18, 2025 | The Indian Eye 42

IPL 2025

RCB batter and India legend

Virat Kohli opens up about how the

T20 franchise shaped him

Kohli might soon approach Chris Gayle, as he became just the fifth batsman to

achieve 13,000 runs in T20 during the current IPL 2025 season

OUR BUREAU
Hyderabad
ormer Indian captain and Royal Challengers
Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli has em-
Fphasised how the IPL’s format and dynamic
structure have influenced his T20 game.
While speaking on Jio Hotstar, Kohli highlight-
ed the unique mental and competitive challenges of
the IPL and emphasised its dynamic nature com-
pared to shorter bilateral series. He described how
the constantly changing points table created differ-
ent kinds of pressure, whether it was maintaining
a lead, bouncing back from a slump, or battling for
a playoff spot. This dynamic environment pushed
players to adapt and evolve their T20 skills, ultimate-
ly driving them to improve constantly.
“IPL challenges you in a very unique way be-
cause of how the tournament is structured. It’s not
like a short bilateral series; it spans several weeks,
and your position on the points table keeps shifting.
That constantly changing scenario brings different
kinds of pressure. When you are at the top, there’s
the pressure to maintain that lead. If you’re near the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli plays a shot during the match against Delhi Capitals in the Indian Premier League
bottom, you need extra motivation to bounce back. 2025, at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday (ANI)
And if you’re somewhere in the middle, where you
need to win, say, three out of five games, even a
single loss can suddenly add a lot of pressure. This of centuries, hitting nine in his career, eight of which plete “awe” of meeting legends Anil Kumble and
dynamic nature of the tournament pushes you men- occurred in the IPL. Rahul Dravid.
tally and competitively in various ways other formats Kohli had previously surpassed the 10,000-run Even though he struggled to thrive consistently,
don’t. It’s also driven me to improve and evolve mark T20 milestone during the 2021 IPL, accom- Virat fondly remembers meeting Indian legends and
my T20 skill set constantly,” Virat Kohli said while plishing the feat in 299 innings as the third-fastest relishing the moments as if he were in a fantasy land.
speaking on ‘18 Calling 18’ on JioHotstar. batsman after Babar Azam and Gayle. More than While Virat felt jitters, he was aware that his game
Virat Kohli has been performing well in the In- 8000 of Kohli’s T20 runs have been scored in the wasn’t up to the level, and he had to prove himself.
dian Premier League (IPL) 2025. He has accumulat- IPL, where the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star “The first time I played in IPL, I was in com-
ed 164 runs over four matches, which includes two continues to lead the batting charts. plete awe. I hadn’t really met anyone before--except
half-centuries. The team has been successful as a Kohli scored one of his fastest fifties in the IPL maybe Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh from our
whole, securing victories in three of the four match- against MI at the Wankhede Stadium. RCB is yet North Zone days--so walking into a dressing room
es. They ended a 17-year winless streak in Chennai to win an IPL title, but they probably have the best with legends like Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid felt
by defeating Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and they squad at their disposal in IPL 2025. Kohli will be next like fantasy land,” Virat said in a candid conversa-
also achieved their first victory against Mumbai In- seen in action on April 9, when RCB will take on tion on ‘18 Calling 18’ on JioHotstar.
dians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in ten years. Delhi Capitals in their next IPL 2025 match in Delhi. “But with that excitement came pressure. I knew
Kohli might soon approach Chris Gayle, as he The India stalwart also took a trip down mem- my game wasn’t quite at that level yet, and I had to
became just the fifth batsman to achieve 13,000 runs ory lane and reminisced about his debut for the prove myself. That pressure eventually caught up
in T20 during the current IPL 2025 season. Kohli Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Indian Premier with me in the first season. Still, the experience was
also ranks at the top among Indian batsmen in terms League back in 2008, during which he was in com- unforgettable,” he added.

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