Chennai: Spin is expected to play a key role here, where Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Friday.
While over the last few years, opponents have used spin to keep Kohli in check, RCB batting
coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik believed the player had managed to turn it around in recent
times.
“He has batted well in the recent past against spin, especially in white-ball cricket,” Karthik said ahead of the CSK encounter.
Karthik reflected on Kohli’s recent successes in big tournaments where spinners played a big role, including his 76 in the T20 World Cup 2024 Final and 218 runs in the Champions Trophy 2025.
While 17 overs of spin were bowled in the T20 World Cup final; India featured in Dubai in the Champions Trophy, where the wickets were slow and helped the spinners.
“In the T20 World Cup finals, he got runs where it mattered. And apart from that, in the Champions Trophy, he had a good tournament second-highest run-getter [for India]. And that doesn't come without playing on spin,” Karthik said.
The former India keeper also reflected on how Kohli was still looking to pack a punch in competitive cricket even at the age of 36.
“I believe right now, he is batting as well as he has ever done,” Karthik said. “And you speak to him even today, just now as I came out. He wanted to work on one more shot."
“At this point of time age, to work on one more shot, tells you the hunger that he has in his mindset. He wants to just improve and keep raising the bar. So, he is a special player,” he added.
