Virat Kohli is back in the headlines—not just for his consistent form in IPL 2025, but also for reigniting the ongoing debate around strike rates and T20 batting approach. After scripting a match-winning 47-ball 63* in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s successful chase against Delhi Capitals, Kohli once again pushed back against his critics, advocating for a more nuanced understanding of T20 batting.
Kohli, who now has six half-centuries this season, masterfully built an innings on a tricky Delhi surface, helping RCB chase 163 with nine balls to spare. At one point, RCB were struggling at 26/3 in the fourth over. But Kohli, alongside Krunal Pandya, staged a brilliant recovery through a 119-run partnership that showcased calmness, experience, and smart cricket.
In the post-match presentation, Kohli addressed the growing obsession with strike rates, stating,
“People are forgetting the importance of stitching a partnership or going deep in a T20 innings… You can’t just tee off from ball one. You need professionalism—understanding the conditions, bowlers, and when to take calculated risks.”
Kohli emphasized how maintaining momentum through singles, doubles, and occasional boundaries is central to his batting philosophy—especially on slower pitches. He subtly called out the strike-rate-centric criticism that has followed him for the past few seasons.
Echoes of 2024: Revisiting the Gavaskar-Kohli spat
Interestingly, Kohli’s fresh take came exactly a year after his infamous public fallout with Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar. In 2024, Gavaskar had criticized Kohli’s strike rate (118 at the time), questioning his lack of intent in the middle overs despite RCB having enough firepower.
Kohli had fired back soon after with a century against Gujarat Titans, stating,
“It’s one thing to sit and talk from a box, and another to be out there. Only those who’ve played day in, day out understand the situation.”
Gavaskar responded with disappointment, saying,
“If you want applause for a 118 strike rate while batting till the 14th over, that’s different. We don’t have a bias—we speak on what we see.”
The row had divided fans and pundits. While many sided with Kohli for speaking his truth as an elite performer, others backed Gavaskar’s numbers-based approach to commentary.
Kohli’s 2025 redemption
Kohli’s approach in IPL 2025 has been a balance of his traditional consistency and situational awareness. While his strike rate has hovered around the mid-130s, it has come with context—playing the anchor when needed, accelerating when required. His form has been instrumental in keeping RCB at the top of the table.
This latest statement from Kohli isn’t just a rebuttal to critics—it’s a reaffirmation of his belief in playing cricket with intelligence and adaptability.
And if recent form is anything to go by, the 36-year-old is letting his bat do most of the talking—with just the right dose of words to back it up.
