Predicting RCB's top 3 run-getters in IPL 2025 ft. Virat Kohli

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will kick off their IPL 2025 campaign with a high-profile clash against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Saturday, March 22. This will also be the opening match of the 2025 season.

RCB had a mixed IPL 2024 season under Faf du Plessis. They lost seven of their first eight matches and were on the brink of elimination. However, the franchise picked themselves up and won six games in a row to storm into the playoffs, eventually going down to Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the Eliminator.

Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, Royal Challengers Bengaluru retained only three players - Virat Kohli (₹21 crore), Rajat Patidar (₹11 crore) and Yash Dayal (₹5 crore). At the auction, they purchased 19 players. Josh Hazlewood (₹12.50 crore) was their most expensive buy. RCB also bought Phil Salt for ₹11.50 crore and Jitesh Sharma for ₹11 crore.

As Royal Challengers Bengaluru prepare for the IPL 2025 season, we predict three batters who could end up being among the top run-getters for the franchise.

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#3 Phil Salt

Phil Salt batting during the 2025 Champions Trophy (Image Credits: Getty Images)

England's aggressive wicketkeeper-batter Salt was RCB's second most expensive purchase at the IPL 2025 mega auction. The franchise shelled out ₹11.50 crore for him, an indication of how highly he is rated as a T20 batter. The 28-year-old has featured in two IPL seasons so far and has done a decent job with the willow in hand.

In IPL 2023, he scored 218 runs for Delhi Capitals (DC) in nine innings at an average of 27.25 and a strike rate of 163.90. Last year, he represented KKR and contributed an impressive tally of 435 runs in 12 innings at an average of 39.54 and a strike rate of 182.

Salt's excellent strike rate is one of his biggest assets. Opening the innings, he is adept at clearing the field with ease. The England big-hitter has a strike rate of 164.32 in T20I and 155.18 in his overall T20 career. RCB will have high hopes from Salt, who can be among the most destructive batters on his day.

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#2 Rajat Patidar

Patidar was among the players who had a huge role in RCB's stunning fightback in the second half of the league stage. The right-handed batter ended the season with 395 runs in 13 innings at an average of 30.38 and a strike rate of 177.13, with the aid of five half-centuries.

Although Patidar ended the season with a highest score of 55, most of his knocks were high-impact ones which came at stunning strike rates. The 31-year-old Madhya Pradesh cricketer first came to prominence in the IPL when he slammed 112* off only 54 balls against Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL 2022 Eliminator.

Overall, Patidar has featured in 27 IPL matches for RCB and has scored 799 runs at an average of 34.73 and a strike rate of 158.84, with one hundred and seven half-centuries. He has been appointed RCB captain for the IPL 2025 season. It would be interesting to see how Patidar responds to the leadership challenge.

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#1 Virat Kohli

RCB's star batter and former captain Kohli holds a number of batting records in the IPL. He was the leading run-getter in the IPL 2024 season, amassing 741 runs in 15 innings at an average of 61.75 and a strike rate of 154.69 with the aid of one hundred and five half-centuries.

The 36-year-old also holds the record for having scored most in a single season of the IPL. He totaled a whopping 973 runs in 16 innings during the 2016 edition, averaging 81.08 at a strike rate of 152.03, with four tons and seven fifties. Kohli is also the only player in the history of the IPL with over 8,000 runs.

If we take a look at the RCB batter's recent form, he had a highly impressive 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. Kohli scored 218 runs in five innings at an average of 54.50 and a strike rate of 82.89. The 36-year-old scored an unbeaten 100 off 111 against Pakistan in the group stage and contributed 84 off 98 in the first semifinal against Australia.