As Royal Challengers Bengaluru prepare to face Gujarat Titans in their next IPL 2025 match, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who has a stunning track record against the Gujarat-based franchise. On Tuesday, Kohli hit the nets before anyone else, putting in nearly 40 minutes of focused practice against both pacers and spinners — a strong indication of the hunger for a big innings.
Kohli has been in solid touch this season with scores of 59 against KKR and 31 against CSK. But it’s his dominance over GT that raises alarm bells for Shubman Gill’s team. In just five matches against them, Kohli has piled up 344 runs, including an unbeaten century. His average stands at a staggering 114 and strike rate at 143 — numbers that make him arguably the most dangerous batter GT will face.
At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli has been even more lethal. In two matches against GT at this venue, he has amassed 143 runs at an average and strike rate of 143 and 162, respectively.
When it comes to individual matchups, Kohli has dominated Prasidh Krishna (56 runs off 34 balls, SR 164) and Rashid Khan (86 off 69, SR 124). Against his long-time friend Ishant Sharma, he has scored 112 runs in 76 balls across 11 innings, with just one dismissal — averaging 112 at a strike rate of 147. Spinner Sai Kishore has also failed to dismiss Kohli in two innings, conceding 27 runs off 24 deliveries.
The only GT bowler with some success against Kohli is Kagiso Rabada, who has dismissed him three times in seven innings. However, unless Rabada strikes early, Kohli could be in for another big one — and GT might just be in for a long night.
