Royal Challengers Bengaluru have chased four times in IPL 2025. Virat Kohli has scored half-centuries in all those four games, with RCB ending up on the winning side every time.
Sunday night against Delhi Capitals was arguably their trickiest chase - they were set a target of 163 - and Kohli played second-fiddle to Krunal Pandya in a 119-run stand on a slow surface. Kohli highlighted the importance of "stitching a partnership and taking it deep," especially in a season where he said it's been difficult for batters to start hitting from the get-go.
"The total on the board. What the conditions are like. Who are the bowlers that are due to bowl. Who are the bowlers that are going to be hard to get away," Kohli listed as the things he factors in while chasing. "So, I try and make sure that my singles and doubles don't stop. And then you keep getting the odd boundary in between. The game never gets stagnant. So, that's always been my focus to keep working on rotating strikes, singles and doubles.
"People, I think, are forgetting the importance of stitching in a partnership or going deep into the innings in T20 cricket," Kohli told the host broadcaster. "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.
"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."
Chasing 163, RCB were reduced to 26 for 3 after four overs. While Krunal, promoted up the order, had a scratchy start, Kohli kept the runs ticking without taking too many risks. Krunal then accelerated from 17 off 21 to 73 off 47, while Kohli fell for 51 off 47, trying to hit Dushmantha Chameera for a six.
"Whenever there's a chase on or there's a situation I go in, I keep checking with the dugout whether we are on course, what is my role, what is the kind of innings I need to play," Kohli said. "It was a top win, we were under pressure, 3 for 26 and then me and Krunal getting a 100-run partnership."
Kohli has scored 245 runs across the four run-chases this season, and his average from those games also reads 245 since Sunday night was the first time he was dismissed batting second in this IPL. Overall, he has racked up 443 runs from 10 matches and is the leading run-getter of the season at this stage.