IPL 2025: It's been business as usual with Kohli, doesn't want anymore of attention, says Bobat

New Delhi, May 16 (IANS) Ever since Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) began their practice session on Thursday afternoon ahead of resuming their IPL 2025 campaign against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Virat Kohli has been the cynosure of all eyes in and around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Come Saturday, and attention on Kohli will increase when he comes out to open the batting for RCB, especially after he announced his retirement from Test cricket earlier this week. Mo Bobat, the Director of Cricket at RCB, said it’s been business as usual with Kohli despite calling it quits from Tests, adding that the talismanic batter doesn’t want anymore attention.

“First thing to say is, Virat Kohli’s just business as usual. There’s enough of the public and nation’s attention on him, he doesn’t want any more of that. He just wants to get on with business, he is usually ambitious about what we can achieve with RCB. That’s his focus.”

“I would like to say though that he should be incredibly proud of what he's done as a Test player for India. RCB as a franchise, we are all incredibly proud of what every one of our players does in an India shirt, but in particular him. To play 120 plus test matches and to score nearly 10,000 runs is no mean feat,” said Bobat in the pre-match press conference on Friday.

Kohli ended his Test career with 9,230 runs in 123 matches at an average of 46.85, including 30 centuries and 31 fifties. Bobat, who previously served in the England men’s set-up, recalled how some of his best Test cricket memories had Kohli as the centre point.

“Also, as a captain, his record, 60% win percentage or something like that as captain, again, no mean feat. I can also talk from my previous role as an Englishman working in the English system. He was someone you never wanted to play against. He was always the batter you wanted to get out.”

“You knew that if he was either in the pavilion to come or at the crease, you were in trouble. Some of my fondest memories of watching Test cricket involve him. I'll never forget the 2018 India series in England. The Test at Edgbaston, watching James Anderson and him do battle like two gladiators. I think James Anderson must have bowled nine overs on the trot at him.”

“It was two of the best players in the world doing their thing. That's what he's about. He's about those special moments, those inspiring moments. He did that as captain, as a player. We're all really proud of him,” he elaborated.

In IPL 2025, Kohli has made 505 runs in 11 games at an average of 63.13, including seven fifties. “I'm sure the fans will show him lots of love this week when they see him again. But just to go back to where I started, he's business as usual. We all are. He's spoken to a few of us about things in the last few weeks, but you know what he's like. He's pretty clear-minded, so he's clear on what he wants to do,” added Bobat.

There has been chatter from various RCB fan clubs to wear white jersey chatter while watching Saturday’s match, which stands as a gesture to pay tribute to Kohli’s Test career. Bobat feels irrespective of it happening or not, RCB’s game plan won’t take a hit.

“It's not something we've thought about or talked about too much. I've certainly noticed that the fans have been talking about that a little bit, but I don't think it'll have much of an impact on our play.”

--IANS

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