Kohli Doesn’t Need to Improve His Strike Rate: AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers believes Virat Kohli should focus on anchoring the innings in IPL 2025

South African legend AB de Villiers believes that Virat Kohli should focus on playing smart cricket and anchoring the innings in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) rather than worrying about increasing his strike rate. He feels that having explosive opener Phil Salt at the top order will reduce the pressure on Kohli.

Kohli has consistently performed well for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the IPL, but his strike rate has been a topic of discussion over the past two seasons. However, the Bengaluru franchise has strengthened its squad for this season by adding aggressive players like England’s Phil Salt and Liam Livingstone, Australia’s Tim David, and West Indies’ Romario Shepherd.

De Villiers believes that with these additions, Kohli will have more freedom to play his natural game. Speaking at the JioStar Press Room on Tuesday, De Villiers said, “It looks like Virat is enjoying his cricket.”