AB de Villiers Defends Virat Kohli: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are at the top of the table in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) after a strong run, winning 8 of their first 11 matches. While the whole team has played well and is close to making the playoffs, a lot of credit goes to Virat Kohli.
RCB’s Dominant Run in IPL 2025
He has taken on different roles depending on what the team needed in each game. Even though he is currently the top run-scorer (Orange Cap holder) this season, some people have still criticized him.
Some former cricketers like Sanjay Manjrekar, Virender Sehwag, and Sunil Gavaskar have said that Virat Kohli needs to score faster during the middle overs. This isn’t the first time he’s faced such criticism – it’s been happening over the past few seasons.
AB de Villiers Backs Kohli with Strong Words
But Kohli’s former teammate, AB de Villiers, defended him, saying that Virat Kohli knows how to adjust his game and play the way his team needs.
“Virat is always there. He is Mr. Safety for RCB. When he is there, you don’t have to fear. Never fear when Virat is near. That is the story. Nothing has ever changed, and what I want to tell all of you media people, I haven’t forgotten. I have the brain of an elephant. To all my journalist friends out there, I love you guys. But remember when you said Virat bats too slow, right? Virat is there batting at almost a 200 strike rate last night. Eat that,” he said in a video shared on Instagram.
Watch the viral video:
View this post on Instagram
Virat Kohli has scored 505 runs in 11 matches so far, making him the highest run-scorer of the season. Virat Kohli has an impressive average of 63.13 and a strike rate of 143.46. In the recent match against CSK in Bengaluru, he batted at a strike rate of 187.87, scoring a quick 62 runs off just 33 balls.
ALSO READ: IPL 2025: Fans Troll Rohit Sharma After Early Exit In Crucial MI vs GT Match
