IPL 2025: Over the past two seasons, we’ve seen ‘Virat Kohli 2.0′, Hayden hails ex-RCB skipper’s unbeaten fifty

Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) After Virat Kohli’s unbeaten half-century led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thrilling win over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL 2025 opener, former Australian opener Matthew Hayden praised the right-hander’s “chasing masterclass,” calling his recent form a dynamic “Kohli 2.0” on the field.

Kohli, the most prolific run-getter in IPL history, picked up from where he left off in 2024, remaining unbeaten on 59 in the chase of 175 after a scintillating opening stand with Phil Salt (56 off 31) as RCB beat KKR by seven wickets at Eden Gardens.

Following the RCB’s win, Hayden analysed Kohli’s approach in the chase and said the 175 was the perfect total for the former skipper to chase down.

“This was the perfect total for Virat Kohli to chase down. If you find yourself in a par or slightly above-par scenario on such a surface, that’s where he thrives. It’s crucial that Phil Salt, as his partner, helps elevate the strike rate and scoring rate. Kohli has picked up exactly where he left off with Kolkata Knight Riders, but tonight and over the past two seasons, we’ve seen ‘Virat Kohli 2.0.’

“Especially in the middle overs, he was really damaging. He finds it quite easy against pace in the powerplay, but today, through the middle overs, he maintained a strike rate above 170—exactly what was needed,” said Hayden on JioHotstar.

India legend Sunil Gavaskar further highlighted the performances of Rajat Patidar, also made merry on his RCB captaincy debut with a quickfire 34 off 16, stating, “Rajat Patidar has played under Virat Kohli and spent a lot of time with him, so he would have gelled a lot easier. You could see that as soon as he went in to bat, Kohli was giving him the confidence to relax and play. And what an innings Virat Kohli played! What an innings Patidar played! It was a superb knock—the way he was stroking the ball and making it look easy.

“Recognising that a quick victory is also important in the long run, RCB’s ability to restrict KKR from what initially looked like a 200-210 score down to 175 will give them loads of confidence. As a captain and a batter, Rajat Patidar has come good. Everything he did, including bowling changes, was outstanding,” Gavaskar said on JioHotstar.

Earlier, the platform for the victory was set by player-of-the-match Krunal Pandya’s 3/29 in four overs, which was instrumental in RCB’s comeback after KKR were on song early on and restricted the defending champions to 174/8.

“He was such a smart pick and a clever bowler. His change of pace, his ability to attack the stumps—it was an excellent setup. You can’t beat experience in high-pressure situations, and he showed serious character. At one point, it looked like RCB was in deep trouble, but their comeback was superb,” Hayden said on Pandya’s role in the match.

Hayden signed off by praising RCB’s all-round performance, “It was an emphatic and important victory for Rajat Patidar as the new captain. Having Virat Kohli in great form certainly helps. Their bowling lineup looked solid—Krunal Pandya was a handy asset through the middle, and Josh Hazlewood did what he does best. For the first time in a long while, I look at RCB’s setup and think—there’s something special about this unit this year.”

–IANS

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