Did Virat Kohli let Shreyas Iyer take charge in Champions Trophy 2025? Here’s what he said

Star India batter Virat Kohli recently shared about his different roles for the national team. The star batter gave an example of one of his partnerships with Shreyas Iyer in the Champions Trophy 2025, where his partner took charge while he resorted to anchoring the innings from his end. The 36-year-old claimed it was not about the ego of the batters but had everything to do with the match situation.

The Indian batter claimed the one who seemed to be in a better rhythm to take on the bowlers would take the initiative at a certain point in the match. The 26-year-old felt the approach of the players had everything to do with the match situation, the understanding of the game, and what needs to be done at a certain point in a match.

"If you look at how things panned out even recently, in one of the Champions Trophy games, Shreyas (Iyer) took charge. It was never about ego. At that time, if I was in rhythm, in the flow of the game, I naturally took the initiative. If someone else was better placed to take the lead, they would do it. It was never about trying to overshadow anyone or suddenly feeling like I don't have the ability. It's always been about understanding the game situation, and that's something I've always taken pride in. I want to play according to what the situation demands," Kohli said in a JioHotstar show.

I wasn't really able to crack IPL in big way early on: Kohli

The RCB batter then opened up on his establishment as an IPL batter. Virat Kohli looked back at his past from the 2008 season to the 2024 season and claimed to have come a long way. The right-handed batter said he did not get to bat higher in the order in the first three seasons. He felt it was one of the big reasons behind him not making big early in his IPL career.

Also Read: What if MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli retire this season?

The RCB opener regretted the fact that he could not do as well in the 2009 season, which he believed had surfaces that suited his style of batting. The star batter added that he got consistent after 2010 and regularly contributed towards team's success from the 2011 season. He felt it was the point where his IPL career took off.

"In my first three years with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, I didn't get many opportunities to bat in the top order. I was usually sent in lower down. So, I wasn't really able to crack the IPL in a big way early on, apart from the occasional impactful knock. But the 2009 season felt a bit better for me. The pitches that year suited my game — the ball was coming onto the bat nicely, and I could play my shots more freely. It was definitely an interesting phase in my career. From 2010 onwards, I started performing more consistently, and by 2011, I was regularly batting at number three. That's when my IPL journey really began to take shape," Kohli concluded.