Last Updated on 11 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Virat Kohli has come in for criticism for his 35-ball 43 in the IPL 2025 Final at the batting-friendly Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Kohli, in the quest of a maiden IPL title, batted conservatively with a lack of urgency to find the boundary throughout his innings.
Comparisons have been made to his innings in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final against South Africa. However, the key difference was India were three down early and in trouble. Plus, the nature of the surfaces in the Caribbean meant a score of 176 was competitive.
Here, RCB did not lose a cluster of early wickets. They were 55/1 at the end of the powerplay. On a ground with an average first innings score of 218 this season, RCB needed a push soon after the powerplay to get the run rate back to par, i.e. ten and over.
But, Virat remained conservative from the powerplay onwards, focusing on rotating strike as the first course of action. The opener struck just three fours in his 35-ball stay, leaving plenty for the others to do to get RCB to 200+.
Virat Kohli in the spotlight after knock of 43 (35) in IPL 2025 Final
PBKS had a clear plan to Virat. They maintained a back-of-a-length approach via the seamers, forcing Virat to hit square. Yuzvendra Chahal also conceded just 16 off 13 balls.
Fans, including some of Kohli’s most ardent supporters, were disappointed with his innings. Here are some of the reactions.
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