April 28, 2025: Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) director of cricket, Mo Bobat, praised Virat Kohli’s composure and skill after the franchise’s impressive six-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals (DC) in a tense encounter at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. RCB’s successful pursuit of a 163-run target was highlighted by a stellar partnership between Kohli and Krunal Pandya, who contributed an unbeaten 73 runs off 47 balls.
In a game where RCB’s chase was off to a rocky start, they found themselves at 26/3 early on, with DC’s bowlers cleaning up the top-order during the powerplay. Despite the challenging situation, Bobat remained confident about RCB’s chances due to the presence of Virat Kohli at the crease.
“We went in a little bit cautious about it. We lost a few soft wickets to begin with, and that made the chase more difficult than it needed to be,” Bobat said during the post-match press conference. However, Kohli’s calm and composed batting provided the stability needed for RCB to regain control of the chase.
Kohli played the anchor role as Krunal, with his free-flowing style, took charge of the scoring. Their match-defining 119-run partnership turned the tide in RCB’s favor, with Bobat impressed by how both players adapted to the situation. “But when you got Virat at the crease you always know you got a chance of getting home with the chase. He showed great composure and skill. Krunal did a great job going in and building a partnership with Virat. It was good to see him go through the gears and get us closer to the score,” Bobat added.
Although Kohli was dismissed for 51 off 47 balls in the 18th over, he had done the heavy lifting, leaving RCB with just a few runs to chase. Kohli’s attempted inside-out shot off Dushmantha Chameera’s delivery fell short of the boundary, allowing Mitchell Starc to take the catch. However, Tim David came in and sealed the deal for RCB, hitting a flurry of boundaries to help them cross the line with six wickets in hand.
RCB’s victory took them to the top of the IPL 2025 standings, with their chase bolstered by a strong performance from both Kohli and Pandya.