"RCB have told Virat Kohli it doesn't matter"- Ex CSKian reveals shocking secrets
Published - 01 May 2025, 01:20 PM | Updated - 01 May 2025, 04:20 PM
Former India batter Robin Uthappa has opened up about star batter Virat Kohli's role in Royal Challengers Bangalore's (RCB) lineup in the IPL 2025 season. The cricketer-turned-commentator also said that the Bengaluru-based franchise has assigned Virat Kohli a clear role as the anchor in their batting lineup.
The 36-year-old scored his sixth fifty of the season during the match against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on April 27. He scored 51 off 47 balls while chasing a target of 163 runs. However, some fans and experts have criticized his strike rate, which is the lowest among the top ten run-scorers.
A Specific Role Has Been Defined for Virat Kohli – Robin Uthappa
In a video shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), Robin Uthappa pointed out that a clear role has been defined for Virat Kohli. Uthappa added that Kohli's presence at the crease is more important than his strike rate. He stated that other players play more aggressively, especially when chasing a target.
"I think RCB have pivoted recently, especially in the last three games. If you look at how Virat has played, it’s clear that a specific role has been defined for him," Uthappa said on the KimAppa show with cricket analyst Jarrod Kimber.
"They've told him, ‘It doesn’t matter if you’re batting at a strike rate of 125 or 130 — your presence at the crease is more important than how fast you score.’ That clarity has helped. When Virat plays the sheet anchor role, especially while chasing, it allows others around him to increase the tempo and bat at a much higher strike rate," he added.
It Kind of Makes Sense Because... - Jarrod Kimber
Jarrod Kimber pointed out that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru have many players who can score quick runs. Kimber also placed RCB among the top two teams in the tournament.
"It kind of makes sense because they've got a bunch of guys who basically want to score 15 to 25 runs, right? Like a lot of their players are short stay players, right? So RCB are probably in the top two teams in this tournament at the moment. I'd have Mumbai because they've been playing some of the poorer sides over recent times."
Virat Kohli Key Figure in Royal Challengers Bangalore's Campaign
Virat Kohli has been a key figure in Royal Challengers Bangalore's campaign. The right-handed batter has 443 runs from 10 matches at an impressive average of 63.28 and a decent strike rate of 138.87. Kohli is currently second on the run-scorer list, behind Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Sai Sudharsan, who has 456 runs.
Kohli has scored four half-centuries while chasing the target in the ongoing season. With seven wins from ten matches, RCB are sitting at the top of the points table. Kohli will be expected to continue his batting form when RCB take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at home on May 3 at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Also read: Ravichandran Ashwin to be thrown out of CSK after just 1 season!! Coach hints possible future
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