Virat Kohli’s Calm Comeback and Growth in IPL-A Story of Focus and Determination

Virat Kohli has always been a player who wears his heart on his sleeve. In the 2025 IPL season he has already made a strong impact with his bat and his attitude. His performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru have shown that he is in great form and hungry for more. Coming in with 67 runs off only 42 balls against Mumbai Indians was a clear indication that the previous India captain is up to the task of handling any challenge. Prior to this, he had scored 59 not out in the season's first game and went on with scores of 31 and 7 in subsequent games. This season is special for him as he is sporting jersey number 18 and is playing his 18th season of IPL. He is also the only player to have remained with one franchise all these years of IPL, which makes his story even more motivating.

Recently, in an interview on Jio Hotstar in a special show called '18 Calling 18' Kohli narrated an interesting and amusing anecdote from his history. He narrated an experience of a game where he faced his old friend and teammate Ishant Sharma. The game was being played at Kolkata against Kolkata Knight Riders when RCB was required to chase a huge total of 223. Kohli mentioned that Ishant was bowling extremely well during that day and the stadium conditions made it difficult for him. He said that although he had confronted Ishant numerous times in practice this was different. The pressure of competition made it seem like Ishant was playing on a different level and Kohli could not get a connection with the ball so easily.

The thing which made the moment more special was the sledging that occurred during the match. Ishant who was fresh from his good show in Australia was full of life and had a different attitude. Kohli recalled the way Ishant continued to sledge him during the match. Even though they were close buddies off the pitch and were at different hotels for the tournament there was no discussion about the game prior to or after. Kohli finally responded in his own fun style saying to Ishant “Side mein aa tereko batata hoon” which means “Come to the side I’ll show you.” They both laughed it off later and it became just another chapter in their long cricketing friendship. Although RCB lost that match the memory stayed with Kohli as a moment of learning and fun.

Year after year Kohli has demonstrated that his power lies in the depth of understanding the game and not letting ego dictate his movements. He thinks in terms of getting the job done in the moment and not trying to establish a point. Discussing his experience in T20 cricket Kohli mentioned that it is never a matter of ego for him. He thinks about reading the match and reacting in a manner that assists the side. This strategy made him one of the best IPL players of all time.

Recently Kohli was the first Indian to reach 13000 runs in T20 cricket which is a tremendous feat. He also has the record for most IPL runs in history with more than 8160 runs and eight hundreds. Kohli revealed that his development in the IPL began when he was given the opportunity to bat regularly at the top. In his initial seasons with RCB he did not receive much opportunity to bat further up the order. But from 2010 and particularly in 2011 the situation began to improve. He started batting more consistently and settled down in the number three slot. That was when his IPL journey really started to take off.

Another big part of Kohli’s success has been his ability to adapt. He said that sometimes he would take charge if he felt he was in rhythm. Other times he would step back and let his teammates lead if they were playing better at the moment. This flexibility and team-first mindset is what separates him from many others.

Kohli’s story is not just about big runs or records. It is about staying grounded staying focused and always being ready to learn. Whether it is laughing off a sledge from a friend or adjusting his game plan based on the match his journey shows what it means to grow as a player and as a person. He is still a strong symbol of commitment and love for cricket and is still an integral player for Royal Challengers Bengaluru and for millions of people who idolize him.