"Virat Kohli bats well when he is not captain"- India veteran in Naveen-ul-Haq fight

RCB's star cricketer Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock on the opening night of IPL 2025 against KKR at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Kohli was at his best as he played a risk-free knock and took his team home safely in the end.

Former India spinner Amit Mishra was in awe of his match-winning knock and hailed him for his brilliant performance in the opening match of the season. Mishra also feels that Virat Kohli is at his best whenever he is not the captain as he enjoys the game more.

Also read: Josh Hazlewood draws feud with Krunal Pandya; refuses to credit him for RCB's win vs KKR

Amit Mishra lauds Virat Kohli's knock

While speaking to Cricbuzz, Amit Mishra shed light on the partnership between Phil Salt and Virat Kohli for the first wicket. Mishra made a bold claim that Kohli bats well whenever he is not the captain and feels that he is enjoying the game more now.

"The way RCB bowled in the starting 3-4 overs, that wasn't visible in KKR's bowling. They (KKR) bowled a lot of loose balls. Virat Kohli and Phil Salt made full use of those loose deliveries. They had a good partnership," Mishra said on the panel.

"Like I said, Virat Kohli bats well whenever he is not leading the team. Even if you see today, he looked relaxed, he was enjoying after hitting fours and sixes. He was laughing and constantly talking his batting partners and with KKR players as well," he notices.

"I've noticed this thing in him that he enjoys the game more whenever he is not leading a team and playing as a senior player. This is the way that he has been playing in the past one year or so. He is having fun and enjoying his game. He is enjoying his shots and his hard work. He wasn't like this around two years ago," the former legspinner added.

'बेफ़िक्र Kohli, Bengaluru के अभियान के लिए अच्छे संकेत'@MishiAmit और @RohanGava9 ने किया उनकी पारी का विश्लेषण, Cricbuzz Live हिन्दी पर #RCB #IPL2025 pic.twitter.com/GhCdnbF0zD

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 23, 2025

Kohli emerged as the Orange Cap winner last season and played a vital role in RCB's road to the playoffs. The right-hander has carried his form this season and emerged as the highest run-scorer of the opening IPL 2025 game.

Amit Mishra on Virat Kohli's aggressive intent

Further speaking in the same video, Amit Mishra recalled how Kohli didn't bother to slow down just because Phil Salt was already batting aggressively alongside him. Mishra was impressed by Kohli'a aggressive intent at the top and also praised his shot selection.

"If you see (Phil) Salt, he was hitting boundaries. There is slight irritation when your partner is playing slowly. But the way Kohli is batting after the last World Cup, he is looking positive," Mishra reckoned.

"Even if you lose 1-2 wickets, you'll have to achieve that target in the first six overs. Otherwise, it becomes difficult for you later. The best thing about Kohli is that you won't see any sweep shot or paddle shot at all" he noticed.

"The bowlers have to think where to bowl. It is important that Kohli stays there at one end. Kohli knows which shot he has to play at a particular ball. So, it is important for such a player to stay at the crease," he concluded.

Virat Kohli shows intent

Virat Kohli smashed 59 off 36 balls and remained unbeaten till the end, ensuring that RCB ace off the chase perfectly. The 36-year-old smashed 4 fours and 3 sixes during his knock.

Usually Kohli is known to play as an accumulator who plays safely and relies more on singles and doubles. However, he was aggressive even against KKR's best bowlers Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, and was willing to take risks against them.

RCB completed the chase in less than 17 overs, thus giving a big boost to their Net Run Rate. They will next face Chennai Super Kings on April 28 at Chennai.