"Everybody asks questions to the US President or the Prime Minister" - Former Indian cricketer's huge statement on Virat Kohli amid IPL 2025

Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja slammed the critics of Virat Kohli's strike rate amid his stunning run in IPL 2025. The 36-year-old scored his sixth half-century of the season in the clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Delhi Capitals (DC) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium last night (April 27).

The 47-ball 51 took Kohli to the top of the Orange Cap leaderboard with 443 runs in ten outings at an average of 63.28 and a strike rate of 138.87. Despite the remarkable consistency, Kohli's strike rate is the worst among the top ten run-getters of the tournament, drawing criticism from a section of fans and experts.

However, JioStar expert Jadeja believes the problem lies with those questioning Kohli's strike rate rather than the batter himself.

Responding to a query on the same from India Today, he said:

"You know, nobody asks you and me questions on the street. But everybody asks questions to the US President or the Prime Minister, because they are the people who make decisions - they are the benchmarks. So, I don't know how he looks at it (Virat Kohli). Till the last day, I remember Sachin Tendulkar and even the icons of the game were asked similar questions."

Jadeja added:

"If you are a sportsman, in your mind also you get questions every day. We are looking at his record today, saying, okay, so many runs - but there's always a question. Whether it was him or Viv Richards in the past, or whoever, the top players are used to it. I think the players who are dealing with it are probably equipped and capable of handling it."

Kohli drew similar criticisms about his strike rate last season before he upped the ante in the second half of IPL 2024. He finished with his highest single-season strike rate of 154.69 in 15 games last year.

"He is never going to have the strike rate of someone like Russell" - Ajay Jadeja

Ajay Jadeja believes Virat Kohli should continue playing in the manner that has earned him success for 18 years in the IPL. The champion batter is the all-time leading run-scorer in IPL history with 8,447 runs in 262 matches, including a league-high eight centuries.

"He certainly does not have that strike rate, he is never going to have the strike rate of someone like Russell - and if he tried to, he would not have the consistency he has. If he (a critic) thinks Kohli can suddenly play like Andre Russell, then the person is asking for the sake of asking," said Jadeja (Via aforementioned source).

He concluded:

"If you really look at the 18-year career of the man, then every sportsman, even the greatest, has their own ceiling, their own style, their own strengths. His strength is consistency. His strength is winning games. His strength is understanding the game and solving that same jigsaw puzzle in his own way."

Kohli's consistency has helped RCB win seven of their ten matches and the top spot on the points table. They will take on arch-rivals Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in Bengaluru on May 3.