Virat Kohli is 'Mr safety' for RCB: AB de Villiers

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 6, 2025, 16:16 IST

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AB de Villiers has defended Virat Kohli against criticism regarding his strike rate in the IPL, highlighting Kohli's consistent performance and crucial role for RCB. De Villiers reminded critics of past comments about Kohli's slow batting, pointing to his recent high strike rate as evidence to the contrary. He emphasized Kohli's reliability and importance to the team's success.

Virat Kohli is 'Mr safety' for RCB: AB de Villiers

Bengaluru: Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings, at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

AB de Villiers has strongly come out in support of his former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Virat Kohli, slamming critics for questioning Kohli's strike rate and intent in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kohli has been in excellent form this season, surpassing the 500-run mark for a record eighth time in IPL history. In 11 outings this season, Kohli has scored 505 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 143.47 and is currently leading the Orange Cap race.

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“Virat is always there. He is Mr. Safety for RCB," De Villiers said in a video shared on his Instagram.

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"When he is there, you don’t have to fear. Never fear when Virat is near. That is the story.

"Nothing has ever changed, and what I want to tell all of you media people, I haven’t forgotten. I have the brain of an elephant. To all my journalist friends out there, I love you guys. But remember when you said Virat bats too slow, right? Virat was there batting at almost a 200 strike rate last night. Eat that.”
Who's that IPL player?
De Villiers' remarks came after former India openers Virender Sehwag and Sunil Gavaskar criticized Virat Kohli for scoring a 47-ball 51 (the joint-slowest half-century in IPL history) against the Delhi Capitals, suggesting he should have accelerated after reaching his fifty. However, in the next match against the Chennai Super Kings, Kohli slammed a 33-ball 62.

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TOI Sports Desk

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