Vikas Kohli, brother of cricket star Virat Kohli, responded to former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar’s criticism on social media platform Threads during IPL 2025. Manjrekar had made controversial comments about Royal Challengers Bengaluru and suggested that the Virat Kohli versus Jasprit Bumrah battle could no longer be considered a ‘best vs best’ matchup, claiming Kohli was past his prime and excluding him from his top 10 IPL 2025 batters list despite being the current highest run-scorer.
Vikas Kohli took aim at Manjrekar’s own playing career statistics, posting on Threads: “sanjay manjrekar.Career odi strike rate : 64:31.Easy to talk about 200 plus strike rates.”
Virat Kohli’s brother post on thread
Virat Kohli continues to perform well in IPL 2025, securing his sixth half-century in ten innings against Delhi Capitals, helping RCB maintain their unbeaten away record.
Kohli emphasized the value of building partnerships in T20 cricket, particularly on slower pitches where aggressive batting from the start is challenging.
“It was a top win, especially looking at the surface. We saw a few games here and this wicket played out differently compared to those. Whenever there’s a chase on, I keep checking with the dugout, whether we’re on course,” Kohli said after the victory.
Kohli detailed his approach to chase planning: “(What) the total (is) on the board. What the conditions are like. Who are the bowlers that are due to bowl. Who are the bowlers that are going to be hard to get away.”
“I try and make sure my singles and doubles don’t stop so that the game doesn’t get stagnant. People are forgetting the importance of partnerships and that’s coming to the fore in this tournament to try and dominate the bowlers through partnerships and professionalism.”
Krunal Pandya achieved his first IPL fifty in nine years during the match. Kohli praised his partnership with Pandya, stating: “Krunal was outstanding, he can make an impact and it was just about time. We’ve communicated beautifully, Krunal kept telling me to stay while he took his chances.”
Tim David’s quick 19 runs off five balls sealed the victory after Kohli’s dismissal.
Kohli acknowledged the team’s finishing strength: “We have the extra power in Tim David, there’s Jitesh as well. That firepower at the back end of the innings definitely helps you. And now Romario as well.”
The RCB star also commended the spin bowling duo of Krunal and Suyash Sharma: “Hazlewood and Bhuvi are world-class bowlers, there’s a reason why Josh has the Purple Cap. Krunal was outstanding the way he varied his pace. Suyash has been the dark horse for us, even if he doesn’t have the wickets. Our spinners keep attacking in the middle overs.”
The pitches in this IPL season have generally been slower, but batsmen like Kohli and KL Rahul have adapted well to these challenging conditions.
