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'Don't want to go too deep into stats...': Dinesh Karthik's big statement on Virat Kohli against spin ahead of IPL 2025 clash between CSK and RCB

Virat Kohli played an unbeaten match-winning knock of 59 runs in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) tournament opener clash against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

Sports Tak

• Fri • 28 Mar 2025

RCB's Virat Kohli participates in the Indian Premier League cricket match

Highlights:

Dinesh Karthik lauds Virat Kohli ahead of CSK vs RCB IPL 2025 clash.

CSK vs RCB IPL 2025 clash will take place at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach believes that star batter Virat Kohl is well prepared to take Chennai Super Kings (CSK) spin trio in their upcoming Indian Premier League 2025 clash which will take place on March 28 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Chennai.

RCB travelled to Chennai after defeating Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on their home ground in the tournament's opener clash, where Kohli smashed an unbeaten match-winning fifty.

Ahead of RCB's high voltage clash against CSK, Dinesh Karthik said that Kohli's knock in T20 World Cup 2024 final and ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is proof that he handles spin well.

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Kohli was India's second-highest run-getter in the Champions Trophy. He smashed 218 runs in five matches, including a century against arch-rivals Pakistan. During RCB's tournament opener against defending champions KKR, Kohli was looking in good touch against the spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, scoring 59 off 36 balls and leading his team to a commanding chase of 175 in just 16.2 overs.

"He's coming off some serious runs in the Champions Trophy. He has batted well recently against spin, especially in white-ball cricket. So, I don't want to go too deep into stats," Karthik told media ahead of CSK vs RCB clash.

"I'm not very aware, but if I remember, in the World Cup final, he got runs where it mattered. And apart from that, in the Champions Trophy, he had a good tournament, second-highest run-getter (for India). And that doesn't come without playing spin because, in Dubai, as you all know how well it helped the spinners, he was very aware. So, I believe right now, he is batting as well as he has ever done," he added.

Kohli has faced criticism over his batting technique against spin in the IPL during middle overs in recent years. However, the batting great worked on his batting, reintroducing sweeps and slog sweeps to counter spin. Karthik also revealed that Kohli is working on a new shot during practice sessions at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

"Even today, just now as I came out, he wanted to work on one more shot. At this point in time, to work on one more shot tells you the hunger that he has in his mindset," Karthik said on the eve of the RCB vs CSK clash.

"He wants to just improve and keep raising the bar. So, he is a special player. And at this point in time, the way I see it, he is batting as confidently and as well as he has ever done in the IPL."

CSK and RCB last faced each other in an IPL 2024 do-or-die clash, where the Bengaluru-based franchise defeated the Ruturaj Gaikwa-led side by 27 runs to qualify for the playoffs.