Virat Kohli kicked out of Sanjay Manjrekar's top IPL 2025 batters list

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar stirred debate by excluding Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli from his list of top batters for IPL 2025. The cricketer-turned-commentator included star names like KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in a post on his official X (formerly known as Twitter) account.

Virat Kohli was instrumental in Royal Challengers Bengaluru ending their losing run at home in IPL 2025. Kohli scored 70 off 42 balls as RCB posted a competitive total of 205/5 against Rajasthan Royals (RR) on Thursday, April 24. The hosts then successfully defended the target by restricting RR to 194 runs.

Sanjay Manjrekar Reveals His List of Top IPL 2025 Batters

With IPL 2025 approaching its business end, Sanjay Manjrekar shared his picks for the batters of the tournament on his official X (formerly Twitter) account.

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The former cricketer included Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) batter Nicholas Pooran as the first name in the list. Pooran has scored 377 runs at a blazing strike rate of 204.89. Manjrekar then picked Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener Priyansh Arya, who has amassed 254 runs at a strike rate of 201.58.

Manjrekar also gave a nod to PBKS captain Shreyas Iyer for his contribution of 263 runs at a brisk strike rate of 185.21. Mumbai Indians' (MI) batter Suryakumar Yadav has scored 373 runs at a strike rate of 167.

When it comes to batting only list that matters.Big runs with great SR so far.

Pooran : 377 runs SR 205

Priyansh Arya : 254 runs SR 202

Shreyas : 263 runs SR 185

Surya : 373 runs SR 167

Buttler : 356 runs SR 166

Mitchell Marsh : 344 runs SR 161

Travis Head: 261 runs SR…

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) April 26, 2025

Virat Kohli Excluded from Sanjay Manjrekar's List of Top IPL 2025 Batters

Sanjay Manjrekar named Gujarat Titans (GT) batters Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill. Buttler has scored 356 runs at 165.58, while Gill has 305 runs at 153.26. Australian duo Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head were also included for their explosive performances.

Manjrekar then added Heinrich Klaasen, who scored his 288 runs at 156.52. KL Rahul, who has scored 323 runs at a strike rate of 153.80, was also included in the list.

Notably, Virat Kohli was not in the list despite being in form for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Kohli is currently his team's top scorer, having scored 392 runs in nine matches at a strike rate of 144.11.

Virat Kohli’s Consistency Powers RCB’s Strong IPL 2025 Run

Virat Kohli has been a crucial player behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s impressive IPL 2025 campaign. However, his strike rate is lower compared to some of the tournament’s more aggressive batters. He is second in the race for the Orange Cap, just behind Sai Sudharsan.

All five of his half-centuries this season have come in matches where RCB ended up on the winning side. RCB have secured six wins from nine games and are third on the points table with 12 points. They are within touching distance of a playoff spot.

With RCB chasing their maiden IPL title after 17 seasons, they will be hoping their senior star continues his form through the business end of the tournament.

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