Srinagar: Former India Cricketer Irfan Pathan has come out in support of India superstar batter Virat Kohli, shutting down critics who question Kohli’s strikerate in the ongoing IPL 2025.
Virat Kohli once again showcased his class scoring blistering half-century against Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. Kohli smashed his fourth consecutive fifty to move to the top spot in the Orange Cap race with 505 runs in 11 matches. He slammed 62 runs off 33 balls, which was embellished with 5 sixes and as many fours at a strike rate of 187.88.
“He can anchor the innings, like he did last game with a strike rate close to 100. He can go aggressive, like today with a strike rate of 187. He is true champion in white ball cricket. He is Virat Kohli!” Pathan wrote on X.
It was a game where Kohli rewrote several record books against CSK by showing his consistency over the years. He became the player with the most runs vs an opponent in the cash-rich league as he overtook David Warner in the tally and currently holds three of the first four spots.
Most runs against an opponent in IPL
1146 – Virat Kohli vs CSK
1134 – David Warner vs PBKS
1130 – Virat Kohli vs DC
1104 – Virat Kohli vs PBKS
With his five sixes, Kohli also became the first player to hit 300-plus sixes for a single team in T20 format, while he also overtook Chris Gayle to top the tally of most sixes at a venue in IPL.
Most sixes at a single venue in T20s
152* – Virat Kohli at Bengaluru
151 – Chris Gayle at Bengaluru
138 – Chris Gayle at Mirpur
Pathan also hailed the batting maestro for achieving the massive feats of smashing over 150 sixes at a single IPL venue.
“No one has hit more sixes at a single venue in t20 than Virat Kohli at Chinnaswamy. He’s now at 152 and counting. He is the real swamy,” he wrote on X.
