Virat Kohli stunned fans and colleagues by revealing a new persona during practice sessions ahead of the match between the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The seasoned hitter could be spotted batting with his left hand at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium.
Virat Kohli has been in excellent form in the 18th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), scoring 548 runs so far and finishing sixth in the Orange Cap race.
Jitesh Sharma, the captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team, won the toss and chose to bowl first in the league final. The visitors substituted Tim David (hamstring injury) and Lungi Ngidi (national commitment) with Liam Livingstone and Nuwan Thushara, making two changes to their starting lineup. Additionally, LSG made adjustments to their team by replacing Aiden Markram, who left for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final, with Digvesh Rathi and Matthew Breetzke.
By destroying LSG starter Breetzke’s stumps in the first few overs, Thushara made an instant impression with the ball and gave RCB a strong start.
In addition to playing their last league game of the IPL 2025, RCB has already guaranteed a position in the playoffs. They will be concentrating on winning to increase their chances of placing in the top two, which would grant them direct access into Qualifier 1. They presently hold the third-place spot on the points table with 17 points.
However, despite losing the playoffs, LSG will be eager to end their campaign with a victory in front of their home crowd.
India
