Virat Kohli takes away Suresh Raina's Mr. IPL title

Former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary has lauded Virat Kohli following his half-century for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2025. The commentator stated that Kohli looked confident and played with fluency from the very beginning, similar to his 2016 season.

Virat Kohli played a crucial role with the bat during the 52nd match of the IPL 2025 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 3. After being asked to bat first, Kohli entertained the home crowd with 62 off 33 balls, featuring five fours and five sixes. RCB posted a total of 213/5 in 20 overs.

This was his fourth straight half-century and sixth in eight matches. He reclaimed the Orange Cap and surpassed 500 runs for the season. Kohli has scored 505 runs from 11 matches at an average of 63.12 and a strike rate of 143.46.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

It Felt Like Watching Vintage Virat Kohli - Manoj Tiwary

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Manoj Tiwary said that Virat Kohli's batting was reminiscent of his peak form from 2016. Tiwary mentioned that the knock showed glimpses of the same dominant style Kohli displayed during his run of 900+ runs in 2016.

"I remember those days—Kohli’s 2016 version. Today, the flow was just like that. He looked confident, and even watching Jacob Bethell bat gave him more belief to play his natural game. Usually, a batsman takes some time to settle in before playing freely, but today, he was in full rhythm right from the start. It felt like watching vintage Kohli," Tiwary said.

"He took on Anshul Kamboj and hit more runs and sixes off his bowling. The style Kohli showed while scoring his last 900 runs, I saw glimpses of that same form today."

We’re Running Out of Words to Describe Virat Kohli - Virender Sehwag

During the same video, former Indian opener Virender Sehwag called Virat Kohli the true "Mr. IPL" for his consistency. He said that Virat sticks to his strengths, plays smart cricket, and relies on timing and placement rather than risky shots.

"He bats without taking risks—that’s what makes him so consistent. That’s why I call him Mr. IPL, the real Mr. IPL. He’s crossed 400 runs in a season more than 11 times because he plays simple, risk-free cricket," Sehwag said.

"He trusts his game, finds the gaps, and sticks to his strengths. Against spinners like Jadeja, he plays his favourite shots—like the flick or the drive. He knows if the ball is in his zone, he’ll put it away. That’s what makes him special. Honestly, we’re running out of words to describe him in the commentary box," he added.

Virat Kohli Surpasses 500 Runs and Takes the Lead in the Orange Cap Race

Earlier in the match, Chennai Super Kings' captain MS Dhoni chose to bowl first, but the powerplay proved to be a tough phase for the five-time IPL champions. Virat Kohli and Jacob Bethell came out with aggressive intent and took full advantage of the opposition's bowlers.

Kohli and Bethell put up 97 runs in just 10.5 overs. However, the middle-order batters, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, and Jitesh Sharma, struggled in the middle overs. The momentum shifted with Romario Shepherd’s explosive batting. Shepherd scored an unbeaten 53 runs off only 14 balls.

While Chennai Super Kings fought back with a 114-run partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and Ayush Mhatre, they fell short in their pursuit of the target and were unable to cross the finish line.

Also read: RCB will win IPL 2025 only if they fulfil this key condition, claims Ex-India batter