Virat Kohli’s Leadership Shines as RCB Storms into IPL 2025 Final

Kohli was seen gesturing, "just one more to go," after RCB's thumping eight-wicket win over PBKS in Qualifier 1.

Could 2025 finally be the year when RCB is crowned at last? Will that be the year when the curse is lifted? Will Kohli finally be able to clutch the semblance of a title that he has been chasing since the very first edition? All will be put to test on June 3 from Ahmedabad.

On Thursday night, Kohli showcased why he never wants to lose this tournament. He is top scorer with the bat for RCB in this IPL season and seemed to run on some extra fumes-worth maybe of desire, resolve, or motivation.

Also Read: PM Modi warns Pakistan: ‘Fight against terror has neither ended nor halted’

And last evening was no different. Virat at the field appeared like an injured lion who has tasted blood, charged with aggression and intensity.

The energy with which he was marshaling the RCB troops brings memories of the "in-your-face captain" Kohli. In one match alone, he expressed an array of emotions- the thumping of RCB badge, which is his heart and soul; roaring with joy after every wicket of PBKS was taken; handful fist pump; rushing from the boundary to celebrate every wicket-Kohli was at his cinematic best.

With RCB's pace trio comprising Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar going all guns blazing, Kohli apparently lost all sense of the fact that he was not leading RCB any longer and was calling all the shots. May he not be wearing the captain's armband any more, but he is still a leader on the field.

Restless energy makes the presence of the man impossible to ignore. He is a complete batter and has had a hand in each and every tactical maneuver—forever in the bowlers’ ears or in the fielders’ line of sight whenever they dropped chances. A growl, a stare—half a dozen expressions spoke more than he ever could.

Also Read: Congress and BJP Clash Over Surgical Strikes; Shashi Tharoor’s Remarks Ignite Internal and Political Debate

Physically, a rare specimen of an athlete he remains, capable of long spells under the unforgiving sun without an iota of tiredness weighing on him. With the dying years stealing the speed of reflex, the oceans of energy continue to be his oldest remedy. RCB pacer Hazlewood summed it all up in one sentence after the match: "Virat's always up and about in the field."

Though he was very athletic in the field, on a wicket offering something to the fast bowlers, he displayed that recurrent weakness of his outside off-stump which had proven to be his undoing on so many occasions. The extra bounce on the sixth-stump line, which he ended up poking, did the trick. That was the dismissal that kind of put the last nail in his Test career in Australia.

On June 3, in Ahmedabad, however, the bounce won't be half as much. Narendra Modi Stadium being an absolute batting paradise, RCB will pin its hopes on Kohli not only to guide them to their maiden title but also for a little redemption in front of a hundred thousand-strong crowd-winning an elite trophy. So get ready for what could well be "The Last Dance" from one of the all-time greats.

Also Read: Sanjay Raut Faces Backlash Over ‘Pahalgam Terrorists May Join BJP’ Remark