"Strike rate merchants have rattled Kohli and he's in gear 10 now" - Fans hail star batter for sublime 33-ball 62 in RCB vs CSK IPL 2025 clash

Star Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli produced another masterful knock in the crucial IPL 2025 clash against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday, May 3. After CSK skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bowl first, Kohli thrilled the Bengaluru fans with incredible strokeplay.

The 36-year-old reached his half-century off just 29 deliveries and finished on 62 from 33 balls. Kohli's knock included five boundaries and as many maximums.

It was a fourth consecutive half-century for Kohli and a sixth in his last eight innings. Kohli also recaptured the lead on the Orange Cap leaderboard and crossed the 500-run mark for the season.

He is currently on 505 runs in 11 outings at an average of 63.12 and a strike rate of 143.46.

Fans on X hailed Kohli for another sensational knock, saying:

"Strike rate merchants have rattled Kohli and he's in gear 10 now."

Expand Tweet

The praises continued for Kohli, with one fan saying:

"Rcb and India without virat Kohli is just another Bangladesh."

"Virat Kohli once again shows his class—steady when needed, explosive when it counts. A true master of white-ball cricket!" tweeted a fan.

"My man kohli was on a rampage today, those slog sweeps were nuts !!, a fan said.

Virat Kohli's heroics propel RCB to massive total against CSK

Virat Kohli's breathtaking knock was just the tonic RCB needed as they finished on a massive 213/5 in 20 overs. The veteran batter added a crucial 97 off 59 deliveries for the opening wicket with England left-hander Jacob Bethell.

However, the duo's quick dismissals led to a mini-collapse, with RCB falling from 121/1 in the 12th over to 157/5 in the 18th over. Yet, big-hitting all-rounder Romario Shepherd destroyed the CSK attack in the final two overs with a stunning 53 off 14 deliveries.

While CSK have already been eliminated from playoff contention, a win in the ongoing clash remains critical for RCB. Currently in third place, a victory will take RCB to the top of the table with 16 points in 11 matches.

About the author

Venkatesh has been writing cricket news, listicle and feature articles for Sportskeeda for over a year. He loves cricket because of the diversity of the playing fields and its unparalleled nuances, which no other sport presents. He also enjoys the analytical and quantitative side of the sport, which originates from his MBA degree and 10 years of experience in the IT industry in companies like Infosys, Atos and TCS.

Venkatesh ensures proper research from reliable sources and social media trends to gather information, and adds his own dash of creativity to create insightful content.

He started watching cricket in the late 1990s, having been impressed with South Africa and New Zealand’s gentleman-like attitude. Domestically, he supports the Chennai Super Kings for their ability to bring the best out of their players owing to a friendly and conducive team environment.

He admires three cricketers the most – Brian Lara for his batting style, AB de Villiers for changing the paradigm of batting and MS Dhoni for his unique cerebral approach to field placings and batting. Along with cricket, Venkatesh also enjoys watching and playing tennis and basketball. In his free time, he finds pleasure in singing and watching movies and web series.

Know More

Get real-time updates on IPL 2025, live scores, IPL Prediction, match schedule, points table,Result & squad -CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS

Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran