Virat Kohli said his T20 game has improved due to the IPL. Talking to Jio Hotstar about IPL's own debut season, 36 -year -old Kohli said, “I was completely scared when I played the IPL for the first time. I did not meet any cricketer other than Zaheer and Yuvraj. For a new player like me, sharing a dressing room with giants like Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid was no less a dream. ,
Virat Kohli is currently the highest scorer in the IPL. In the current season, he is playing for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. He played a 67 -run innings against the Mumbai Indians in the last match.
Innings against Virat Kohli's MI in IPL 2025
Kohli said-
There was also pressure in the debut match with enthusiasm. I knew my game had not yet reached that level. I had to prove myself. My first season was not good due to pressure. Also, that experience was wonderful.
There was no chance to play in the top order initially Remembering his early years with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Kohli said, 'In my first three years with RCB, I didn't get much chance of batting in the top order. I was usually sent to play down. That's why I couldn't perform well at the beginning of the IPL.
The 2009 season was a little better for me. That year's pitch was suitable for my game, the ball was coming well on the bat, and I could play my shots more independently. This was an interesting phase of my career. From 2010, I started performing well and by 2011, I regularly started batting at third.
IPL a different type of challenge Kohli further said, ' IPL challenges you very differently. ' It's not like a short bilateral range, it lasts for several weeks and your position in the points table is changing. The constant changing conditions in the points table brings a variety of pressure. When you are on top, it is pressure to maintain the lead. If you are at the bottom, you need additional inspiration to get back up.
If you are somewhere in the middle, where you need to win 3 out of 5 matches, a single defeat can suddenly put a lot of pressure. This nature of the tournament helps you develop mentally and competitively. The IPL has inspired me to continuously improve and develop my T20 game.
The highest IPL run in the name of Kohli
Kohli is the highest scorer in the IPL. He has scored 8168 runs in 256 matches. He has been playing on behalf of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) since the beginning of the league in 2008. He has 8 IPL centuries in his name. In addition, he has scored 57 half centuries.
Image Credit: Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).