Sanjay Manjrekar turned heads with his after announcing his top 10 batters in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. A notable aspect of Manjrekar's picks is his emphasis on strike-rate as the primary determining factor in his choices. But what left everyone shocked was the omissions of big wigs from his list.
One such exclusion is Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli. Not just Kohli, Manjrekar didn't even give space MS Dhoni in his top 10 list. Despite Kohli's strong performance this season, leading the RCB scoring charts with 248 runs across six matches, Manjrekar has opted to leave him out. Kohli's current strike-rate of 143.35, coupled with an impressive average of 62, places him as the sixth-highest run-scorer in the tournament thus far. Topping the run-scoring list is Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) vice-captain Nicholas Pooran, who has amassed 357 runs in seven matches. Interestingly, Manjrekar's top 10 list features four Indian batters.
"T20 cricket is as much about SR as runs. Here is the list that really matters. Top 10 batters this IPL with over 200 runs at great SR," Manjrekar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
T20 cricket is as much about SR as runs. Here is the list that really matters. Top 10 batters this IPL with over 200 runs at great SR.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) April 18, 2025
Priyansh Arya
Nicholas Pooran
Shreyas Iyer
Abhishek Sharma
Phil Salt
Mitchell Marsh
Travis Head
Heinrich Klassen
Jos Buttler
K L Rahul.…
Since the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli has displayed exceptional consistency, particularly when his team is chasing a target. His average of 72.8 in run-chases stands as the best among all players during this period. Moreover, his average escalates to an astounding 164.0 in successful run-chases, highlighting his ability to anchor and finish games under pressure. Royal Challengers Bengaluru took on Punjab Kings (PBKS) in their home ground of Bengaluru, Kohli was on the cusp of achieving another big milestone. Kohli had the opportunity to become the first-ever player to score 3500 runs at a single venue in T20 cricket, as he needed 15 more runs to add to his current tally of 3485 runs at the Bengaluru stadium.
ALSO READ: Massive update on Sanju Samson's availability for RR vs LSG IPL 2025 clash amidst injury concerns
Adding to the potential milestones in the upcoming match, Kohli was also within touching distance of another six-hitting record. He required just two more sixes to surpass Rohit Sharma and become the second-highest six-hitter in the history of the Indian Premier League.
However, Kohli couldn't notch any of the the aforementioned records as he returned to the hut after scoring just 1 run against PBKS.
However, Kohli's overall contribution to the IPL is unparalleled, reigning supreme as the highest run-scorer in the league's history. Representing only RCB since the inception of the IPL, his loyalty and consistent performance are remarkable. Across 259 matches, Kohli has accumulated an astounding 8,253 runs. This incredible tally includes eight centuries and 58 half-centuries