 "'Kohli is called chasemaster for a reason': Sehwag, Mishra explain why former RCB skipper is so good in second innings")
Nearly a year since he announced his retirement from Twenty20 Internationals after helping India win the T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli remains in red-hot form in the shortest format of the game and continues to pull off run chases for fun.
The latest of his match-winning knocks came against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, his home ground, on Sunday. Kohli struck 51 off 47 deliveries and forged a match-winning fourth-wicket partnership with Krunal Pandya (73 not out) worth 119, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru recover from a shaky start and chase down the 163-run target set by DC with six wickets and more than an over to spare.
RCB, in the process moved to the top of the 2025 Indian Premier League standings with seven wins in 10 outings while Kohli moved to the top of the run-getters’ list this season with 443 runs, taking the ‘Orange Cap’ away from Suryakumar Yadav’s possession.
Sehwag and Mishra explain why Kohli remains a chasemaster
It was Kohli’s sixth half-century of the season in 10 outings and his third on the trot. And four of those six fifties have come in run-chases, with the former India and RCB captain remaining unbeaten in three of them – including the season-opener against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens.
Batting legend Virender Sehwag, Kohli’s senior at the Indian as well as Delhi team, explained how the 36-year-old continues to ace run chases in the twilight of his career following RCB’s victory over DC in the evening fixture of the Sunday double-header.
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“His strike rate wasn’t up to the mark. But he remained a rock-solid presence at the centre, knowing that his dismissal could lead to the team struggling in the remainder of the chase, with new batters possibly struggling to get going,” Sehwag, who represented Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings back when they were known as Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab, said on Cricbuzz.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“So while his strike rate wasn’t as high, he remained in the chase until the end. Though he could not finish the game for his team, RCB ended up winning the game in the end.
“Strike rate, therefore, matters only when the team loses. Had RCB lost this game, we might have been discussing his strike rate. His partnership with Krunal was excellent; not only was he scoring runs freely, he also helped Krunal get going,” he added.
Vintage, beyond valuation. 👑
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Sehwag added that Kohli is known as a ‘chasemaster’ for a reason. As for his strike rate, ‘Viru’ added that Kohli will produce an explosive knock when the situation demands it.
“He knows he cannot afford to lose his wicket, that runs will eventually flow if he continues to bat through the innings. Kohli had also noticed that RCB had conceded 50-60 runs in the last five overs of DC’s innings, and knew things will get easier for him once the fast bowlers are reintroduced in the final stretch of the chase.
“Virat Kohli is known as a ‘chasemaster’ for a reason. And let’s not discuss his boundaries; when the time comes for him to play an explosive knock, he will. What was important for him today was to stay till the end, build a solid partnership and guide his batting partner through the chase as well,” the former India opener added.
Kohli has understood the mantra of staying till the end, says Mishra
Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who represented DC among various other teams in the IPL, felt it was Kohli’s presence at the crease that instilled a sense of belief in his teammates. And with his T20 game evolving in recent years, Mishra feels Kohli has understood the mantra of staying at the crease till the death overs.
“He has understood the mantra of staying at the crease till the end, how his presence till the 14th or 15th over bears fruits. And like ‘Viru bhai’ said, strike rate does not matter so long as he remains at the centre,” Mishra said.
“It’s his presence at the crease that instils a sense of belief in batting partners. They listen to his advice and act accordingly. And that is what is happening currently. His teammates’ belief in him has grown even stronger after recent games.
When you fight your way through the crunch phase of the innings, things automatically start falling in place,” he added.
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