Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) enjoyed a remarkable turnaround in the second half of IPL 2024 and much of the credit goes to Virat Kohli's leadership and heroics in the fight.
Recently, Royal Challengers Bangalore Director of Cricket Mo Babat highlighted Kohli's pivotal role in reviving the team's fortunes as they climbed from the bottom of the table to secure a place in the playoffs.
Virat Kohli's stellar form has been instrumental in RCB's revival, not only leading the batting charge but also winning the Orange Cap for the second time in his career.
Virat Kohli's aggressive approach fueled RCB's stunning comeback in IPL 2024
Royal Challengers Bangalore had to change their approach midway through the 2024 IPL season to stay competitive. Other IPL franchises like Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) had already embraced an aggressive batting style, churning out massive totals consistently.
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Initially, RCB struggled to match this pace, crossing the 200-run mark only once in a memorable high-scoring clash against SRH. However, the second half of the season saw a dramatic transformation as the Bengaluru franchise adopted a more aggressive mindset and crossed the 200-run milestone four times, building momentum for their IPL 2024 playoff push .
Virat Kohli led by example, taking the bowlers right from the start and setting the stage for RCB's revival. Notably, the dashing right-hander ended last season with 741 runs in 15 matches, including 38 sixes, at a strike rate of 154.69. And Mo Babat believes the template will be the same next year.
Right, I'll lead the way here: Virat Kohli at RCB
Mo Babat was quoted by ESPNCricinfo as saying, “Virat scored runs throughout the competition, even in that initial period when we weren't getting results. But even he, half way, said, “All right, I'll drive here; we can all be more aggressive.”
“It was brilliant to see him talking about it with the rest of the batting group and backing up his words with action. I've no doubt he'll want to keep it going forward.”
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Meanwhile, Royal Challengers Bengaluru adopted a bold strategy in the mega auction of IPL 2025. In a surprising move, RCB chose not to retain key players like Mohammed Siraj, Glenn Maxwell and Will Jacks.
Instead, the franchise strengthened its fighting strength by bringing in dynamic players like Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Jitesh Sharma in the mega auction.
Virat will be no different from anyone else: Mo Babat
With core players like Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar still anchoring the team, RCB aim to maintain an aggressive approach throughout the 20 overs as they aim to end their IPL title drought next season.
Notably, they now have players like Jacob Bethell, Krunal Pandya, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the team is eager for a fresh start in IPL 2025.
Babat concluded by saying, “I definitely won't be and Andy definitely won't be, sending the team off with someone intent on dropping anchor. This is not what is required. We want to get the most out of every delivery. Players can be trusted to assess the situation and the conditions there and Virat will be no different from anyone else.”