Virat Kohli has the ability to score at a higher strike rate like any T20 star, but Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s team composition demands a more measured approach from him, says former Australia captain Aaron Finch.
Unlike Rohit Sharma, who embraced a high-risk game in the latter stages of his T20 career, Kohli remains the anchor in RCB’s batting lineup. Finch believes that expecting him to adopt an ultra-aggressive style could come at the cost of consistency.
"Well, the question you have to ask yourself is, do you want 700 or 800 runs or are you happy with 400? Because if you want Virat to strike higher, he can absolutely do that. But with that comes a higher risk and the consistency will go down," Finch told PTI in an exclusive interaction ahead of IPL 2025.
"So I don't think that there's a huge need to change. Maybe it's changing the tempo up slightly. But overall, I would bank on his runs every single day of the week. And then you start to build your team around somebody like that."
Finch acknowledged that T20 cricket has evolved significantly, with teams now prioritising aggressive batting in the Powerplay. However, he argued that expecting every batter to strike at 200 from ball one is unrealistic.
"It's not just about people who walk out of the change rooms and strike at 200 from ball one. I think that that's unrealistic to ask seven batters to do that all in the one team. Because when it doesn't go well, you lose the game."
Rohit, despite having a similar IPL strike rate to Kohli, took greater risks in the latter stages of his career. Finch pointed out that the Mumbai Indians' squad allowed him that freedom—something RCB’s setup does not provide Kohli.
"... when you look at the way that Rohit's done it, have a look at the players that he's had around him. He's still had the foundations of a player that the team can bat around him. So it's okay to walk out and swing from the hip and look to try and dominate and hit a lot of sixes from early in your innings. But you have to understand the dynamics of the team around that."
Mumbai Indians boasted a formidable middle order with Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma, which allowed Rohit to take risks. Even in the Indian team, he had Kohli following him at No.3, which provided a safety net.
"When you look, when Rohit's made that conscious decision, he's had Virat coming in behind him at number three. So there's an ability for him to say, you know what, I've got the guy behind that will fix any mistakes that I make."
Finch believes that for Kohli, maximising his output at a strike rate of around 150 would be ideal.
"Maybe if his strike rate goes from 140 to 150, he can absolutely do that. No issues whatsoever. But how many times has he been in a situation where he's had to almost dig RCB out of the hole because everybody else has fallen around him?
"So like I said before, I would bank the runs every day of the week from a top three player. Because that gives the rest of the order so much freedom. That gives you the option to be more aggressive from the other batters," Finch explained.
With RCB still chasing their elusive maiden IPL title, Kohli’s role remains unchanged—steady the ship while others go for the big hits.
(With PTI inputs)
