Sanjay Manjrekar leaves out Virat Kohli from IPL 2025 top batters list

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has not included Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Virat Kohli in the list of the top 10 batters in the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) so far. The opening batter has made a solid start to the season, scoring 164 runs in four matches, but was pipped by other batters in the tournament, including two of his teammates.

There have been some exceptional batting performances in 20 matches into the new season. Intent has been nearly unanimous, continuing from the 2024 edition, which changed the way teams structured their batting and phased their innings.

Although SRH's batting unit has struggled in IPL 2025 so far, three of their batters found a place in Sanjay Manjrekar's list of top 10 batters. Explosive top-order batters Ishan Kishan and Travis Head have been named, and so has the emerging youngster Aniket Verma.

Two LSG batters in Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh also find a place after their dominant start to the season. The former currently holds the Orange Cap, while the latter is the fourth-highest run scorer in IPL 2025 after three fifties in four matches.

As mentioned earlier, the two RCB batters to make the cut were Phil Salt and Rajat Patidar. Kohli failed to find a spot despite scoring more runs than the skipper. Salt, on the other hand, has fizzled out after his fifty against KKR in the season opener, but his intent has been vital for the team's dream start to the campaign.

Sanjay Manjrekar's list of top 10 batters in IPL 2025 (with best strike rates and over 100 runs):

Nicholas Pooran, Shreyas Iyer, Travis Head, Nitish Rana, Mitchell Marsh, Aniket Verma, Sherfane Rutherford, Ishan Kishan, Rajat Patidar, Phil Salt

Virat Kohli has an average of 54.67 and strike rate of 143.86 after four matches in IPL 2025

The reigning Orange Cap winner, Virat Kohli, has started from where he left off. His intent and improved game against spin in the middle overs played a huge role in RCB's resounding comeback in the second half of the 2024 season. He finished that campaign with an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69.

He is motoring along in the same fashion in IPL 2025, playing with intent at the top alongside his new batting partner Phil Salt. He scored fifties in RCB's wins over KKR and MI, but was not at his best in the outings against GT and CSK.