IPL 2025 | '209 runs in singles and doubles': Kohli says people 'need to have professionalism' and take games deep in T20s

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli says 'people are forgetting to take game deep in T20' as he steered his team to yet another win in IPL 2025. His comments came after RCB beat Delhi Capitals (DC) on Sunday (Apr 28) by six wickets as they chased 163-run target in 18.3 overs with six wickets in hand.

"People, I think, are forgetting the importance of stitching in a partnership or going deep into the innings in T20 cricket," Kohli said after the match. "And I think this year around, you're seeing that you can't just come out and tee off from ball one. You need to have professionalism, to read the situation and try and get into a position where you can start dominating the bowlers.

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"And for that, you need to string in a partnership. And it won't come easy on a slow pitch if you don't know how to rotate the strike. So, yeah, that's pretty much my method.

"I analyse the conditions, understand what the score on the board is, understand what the situation demands of me and have the skills to kind of keep rotating the strike and not be stagnant on one end," he added.

RCB were in a spot of bother at 26/3 in four overs during the chase when Kohli (51 off 47) added 119 runs for the fourth wicket with POTM Krunal Pandya (73 not out off 47). The duo took the game away from DC to register their record sixth away win in the season.

Out of 10 games played, RCB have won seven matches in total and six of them came away from home. They lost three consecutive matches at home before breaking the jinx with a 11-run win against Rajasthan Royals.

Kohli has been instrumental in those wins, scoring 443 runs in 10 innings at an average of 63 and a strike-rate of 138 - with 209 runs in singles and doubles. He has also hit six fifties in the season and currently sits atop of the run-making charts as the Orange Cap holder. Kohli is also miles ahead of RCB's second best batter Phil Salt who has 239 runs in nine innings.