'He wanted to practice..' - Dinesh Karthik praises Virat Kohli for his commitment before CSK game in IPL 2025

Opposition teams have been using spin to slow down Virat Kohli for years. Kohli appeared to have limited scoring options if pace bowling was not available. However, he has now worked on himself and has changed. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star has changed his style of play against slower bowlers over the past 12 months by taking a more aggressive stance. Dinesh Karthik praised him for his work ethic which inspires many young players.

With upcoming game against Chennai Super Kings who has good spin bowlers like R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Noor Ahmad he will try to get upper hand against them. However the game is going to take palce at Chepauk, a stadium where the wicket is spin friendly.  The first IPL 2025 match made Kohli's intentions clear.  A noticeable change in his strategy against spin was evident in his intent-filled innings, as he stayed undefeated at 59 off just 36 deliveries.

Dinesh Karthik, a batting coach and RCB mentor who has closely observed Kohli's style thinks the former captain is hitting as fluidly as ever. "He has batted well in the recent past against spin, especially in white-ball cricket. I don't want to get too deep into stats but if you look at big matches, like the (T20) World Cup final, he delivered when it mattered. Even in the Champions Trophy, he was India's second-highest run-getter. That doesn't happen without playing spin well," Karthik said.

He is a unique player - Dinesh Karthik

Karthik remembered an incident from the most recent RCB training session that highlighted Kohli's unwavering pursuit of greatness. “Even today, as I was leaving, he spoke with me; he wanted to practice one more shot.  His desire to bring something fresh to his game at this point in his career speaks volumes about his hunger.  His only goals are to get better and keep getting better.  Because of this, he is a unique player,” Karthik remarked.

The two big names of Indian cricket Mahendra Singh and Virat Kohli are going to play in the highly anticipated match of IPL 2025. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings have a big rivalry in recent past. During IPL 2024, RCB defetaed CSK and made place into playoffs. Ahead of the game both the teams are heading into the game with win. The spin-friendly style of Chepauk will be a tough test, but Kohli has proven he enjoys a challenge.