IPL 2025: Virat Kohli reveals secrets behind his chase mastery

Dubai: Virat Kohli stood firm as chaos unfolded around him. Royal Challengers Bengaluru were reeling at 26 for 3, the top order crumbling on a tricky Delhi pitch. But amid the collapse, Kohli — calm and methodical — held his nerve, steering the chase with the kind of composure that has made him the undisputed master of run-chases.

Partnering Krunal Pandya, Kohli rebuilt the innings with a measured half-century, laying the foundation for RCB’s seventh win of the season in 10 matches.

Early struggles and regaining touch

Pandya and Kohli overcame early struggles with timing and momentum to smash fifties each, helping RCB climb to the top of the points table after beating Delhi Capitals by six wickets at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday.

After RCB’s bowlers — led by Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s 3-33, Josh Hazlewood’s 2-36, and a stifling spell from Krunal and Suyash Sharma — restricted Delhi to a below-par 162/8 on a two-paced pitch, the visitors found themselves in deep trouble. But Krunal rose to the challenge, hammering a brilliant 73 off 47 balls, laced with five fours and four sixes, while Kohli anchored the innings with a 47-ball 51. Together, they shared a vital 119-run stand for the fourth wicket before Tim David finished the job with an unbeaten 21 off just five balls.

Kohli not only provides stability during a chase, but also has the ability to lift his teammates and elevate their game. 'When Virat is at the other end, it always feels easier. I’ll give credit to him. My first 20 balls were quite scratchy, but he kept pushing me, telling me, ‘You’ll get there,’" Krunal Pandya shared.

The victory kept RCB’s flawless record in away games intact and sealed a record sixth consecutive win on the road this season.

Chasing maiden IPL title

Kohli’s 61st IPL half-century also propelled him to the top of the Orange Cap standings, with 443 runs at a stellar average of 63.29. More crucially, the win pushed Royal Challengers Bengaluru — still chasing their elusive maiden IPL title — to the top of the table with 14 points, sending fans’ hopes soaring.

For Kohli, there was no Kantara-style stomping of the ground, like what KL Rahul did when Delhi won the clash in Bengaluru. Instead, King Kohli quietly demonstrated that it is his turf. Not just in Delhi, but wherever he leads the chase.

Speaking after the match, Kohli lifted the lid on how he approaches a chase — breaking down his method into four key components and underlining the importance of adaptability.

“I look at the total on the board, the conditions, the bowlers who are due to bowl, who are the bowlers who are going to be hard to get away. I try and make sure my singles and doubles don’t stop and then you keep getting the odd boundary in between, so the game doesn’t get stagnant. That’s always been my focus, keep working on rotating the strike,” Kohli explained during the presentation ceremony.

Kohli also stressed that in modern T20 cricket, surviving and building partnerships is often more valuable than going for glory shots from ball one.

Sea of red jerseys

“People are forgetting the importance of partnerships or going deep into the innings in T20s, and this year you are 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. It won’t come easy on a slow pitch if you don’t know how to rotate the strike. So that’s pretty much my method,” he said.

Playing at his old home ground, Kohli’s presence drew a sea of red jerseys at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, with more than 35,000 spectators packing the stands, many chanting his name in unison.

He may not have scored a hundred yet this season, but Kohli’s calmness at the crease continues to fuel Royal Challengers’ dream. And if his method holds firm, RCB’s long wait for IPL glory might just find its perfect ending — with the chase master leading them home.