'We talk so much without thinking...': Virat Kohli's strike-rate debate silenced in definitive verdict before KKR clash
Piyush Chawla spoke about Virat Kohli's approach to T20 cricket in the wake of his retirement from the format internationally.
Virat Kohli is set to begin an 18th IPL campaign, having played over 250 matches in the tournament for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Nevertheless, IPL 2025 might be slightly different for Kohli, who announced his retirement from international T20 cricket after last year’s World Cup victory.
With Kohli’s focus now entirely set on the IPL from a T20 perspective, there have been some who have wondered how this mentality shift will affect him. However, his former teammate Piyush Chawla backed him to show up for RCB when it matters most.
Speaking to ANI, Chawla said: "He is somebody who has always delivered for his team. If you see the numbers, the number speaks for itself. And strike rate, we talk about so much. But his strike rate is always good at 130 plus, 140.”
Chawla also mentioned how Kohli plays a role that is beneficial for his team. The leg-spinner explained how Kohli’s strike-rate given the role he plays is a positive.
“Because you need one player who wants to, you know, as a team management, you want him to hold the one end. And if somebody like Virat is doing the job for the team and that too at a strike rate of 130, that is really good. We talk so much without like, you know, thinking about that much about it,” said Chawla.
‘He is ready to do something special…’
In his IPL career, Kohli has 8004 runs in 252 games, at a strike rate of 131. However, in 2024, Kohli amassed an orange cap-winning 741 runs at a career-best season strike rate at 154.70. This outdid even his legendary 2016 season, in which he scored 973 runs.
Chawla backed Kohli given his mentality and approach to the game in terms of effort. "But for me, Virat Kohli, even when he will step onto the field, will give his 200%. He is putting his body on the line. That is the kind of character Virat Kohli is. He is always full of energy. And he is ready to do something special for the team all the time.”
However, Chawla did accept that his retirement from T20Is doesn’t mean the pressure is off, especially as he chases an elusive IPL trophy win. This remains the one vacancy in his cabinet.
“And as we talk about pressure, when you step onto the field, whether you are playing or you are retired from T20 cricket, you want to play for your reputation, for your name. So, Virat would not say that there is no pressure. There is always some pressure, those butterflies in the stomach," concluded Chawla.
