Kane Williamson: Virat Kohli’s Motivation Will Be Key for RCB in IPL 2025

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are scheduled to play their first match of the new 18th IPL season against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday, March 22. Legendary batter Virat Kohli is expected to be one of the key players for the team in the tournament. Former New Zealand captain Kane Williamson expressed this opinion in an interaction with reporters.

Fantastic Motivation 

In March, the 36-year-old Virat was one of the main protagonists of the Indian team at the ICC Champions Trophy, which the team won, becoming the world’s top-ranked national squad to win such a trophy (three times). According to Williamson, the player will no doubt showcase his best qualities. He is highly motivated to fight for the IPL title with RCB. Kohli has slightly altered his batting style, but he remains very effective nonetheless. Moreover, the player continues to demonstrate a hunger for the game and a desire to always win. He demonstrated this, among other things, at the ICC CT 2025.

Comments on BCCI Rules 

Speaking to reporters, Williamson also commented on the BCCI’s decision to retain the ‘Impact Player’ rule for IPL 2025. According to the expert, this may result in the role of versatile players in the teams being somewhat insufficient. That said, he also found positives in the rule. Kane stated that, according to statistics, run rates have increased across the board due to this rule. 

Williamson is also skeptical about shining the ball using saliva. He does not believe that it will significantly affect white ball cricket, but on the other hand, it may give some breathing space to the bowlers. Therefore, the expert believes that we need to wait and see the impact of this rule on IPL 2025 to make an informed conclusion.