Kohli Reflects on Champions Trophy Glory and Fiery IPL Start with RCB

Virat Kohli has made a strong start to this year’s Indian Premier League, scoring two half-centuries in just four matches. He’s been leading from the front for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and the team has looked refreshed and full of energy under their new coach, Andy Flower. Before the team’s match against Delhi Capitals on Thursday, Kohli spoke about the last few weeks of his career. He mentioned how special it was to win the Champions Trophy and said that he always tries to give his best and do whatever role the team asks of him.

Virat Kohli was in top form during the Champions Trophy group stage, smashing a brilliant century against Pakistan. In the semi-final against Australia, he played a key knock of 84 runs that helped India win a tight match. Talking about his performance, Kohli said he doesn’t play to be in the spotlight, he just focuses on doing his best for the team.

“If you look at how things panned out even recently, in one of the Champions Trophy games, Shreyas (Iyer) took charge. It was never about ego. At that time, if I was in rhythm, in the flow of the game, I naturally took the initiative. If someone else was better placed to take the lead, they would do it. It was never about trying to overshadow anyone or suddenly feeling like I don't have the ability. It’s always been about understanding the game situation - and that’s something I’ve always taken pride in. I want to play according to what the situation demands,” Virat Kohli said ahead of RCB's match against DC.

Kohli Reflects on Early IPL Struggles

The batter further spoke about his early days in the Indian Premier League and how he felt out of his depth for the first couple of seasons. Kohli said that he was a new kid on the block and had to start scoring runs consistently to get opportunities at the top of the order with the Bengaluru side.

“The first time I played in the IPL, I was in complete awe. I hadn’t really met anyone before—except maybe Zaheer Khan and Yuvraj Singh from our North Zone days - so walking into a dressing room with legends like Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid felt like fantasy land. But with that excitement came pressure. I knew my game wasn’t quite at that level yet, and I had to prove myself. That pressure eventually caught up with me in the first season. Still, the experience was unforgettable,” Kohli said.

Virat Kohli is now playing under Rajat Patidar's captaincy in the IPL. Unlike before, he's not trying to anchor the innings but is going for more aggressive shots right from the start. At the moment, RCB are in third place on the points table, just behind Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans.

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