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Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) superstar Virat Kohli is in red-hot form in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 and is one of the strongest contenders to win the Orange Cap. In a total of 10 matches, Kohli has already amassed 443 runs under his belt. But even a player of Kohli's potential had someone who had biggest impact on him during the batting juggernaut's early IPL years.
Out of all players I played with initially, Mark Boucher had the biggest impact on me: Virat Kohli
The former RCB captain reminisced about the significant impact former South African wicketkeeper-batsman Mark Boucher had on him during his initial years in IPL. Kohli revealed that his conversations with the Proteas legend left him 'stunned'.
RCB talked about the incident at length in an upcoming episode of the RCB Podcast, a preview of which was released on the team's official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
Reflecting on his interactions with Boucher, whom he mentioned had invited him to play golf on occasion, Virat stated:
"Out of all players I played with initially, Boucher had the biggest impact on me. He figured out what my weaknesses could be, If I wanted to go to the next level, this is what I need to do, without me asking him anything. He told me that 'when I comes to commentate in India three-four years from now and I do not see you playing for India, you would do a disservice to yourself. So he really stunned me with the conversations he had with me."
Boucher's tenure with RCB spanned from 2008 to 2010, a period when Virat Kohli was in the nascent stages of his international career and had yet to represent India in Test cricket. Across 27 matches for the franchise, Boucher accumulated 388 runs at an average of 29.85, including one half-century.
"The love that I have received from the fans, I do not think any silverware or any trophy can come close to that," he added.
The batting maestro also talked about what changed after his T20I retirement. He feels nothing as such has changed as the decision was taken after understanding that there are new set of players who are more than ready.Β
"I do not think things have changed for me in any way. The decision (to leave T201s) was taken purely understanding that there is a new set of players who are more than ready and they need time, they need a 2-year cycle to evolve, handle pressure, play in different parts of the world, and play enough games to the point where when the World Cup comes, they feel like they are ready," Kohli signed off.
In the current IPL season, Virat Kohli is demonstrating excellent form with the bat. He currently holds the third position among the highest run-scorers, having amassed 443 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 63.28 and a strike rate nearing 139. His consistent performance includes six half-centuries, with his highest score being an unbeaten 73.
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