'People criticised him over strike rate, he answered that' - Cheteshwar Pujara commends Virat Kohli's evolved gameplay

Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara elaborated on how Virat Kohli evolved as a batter in the recently-concluded Indian Premier League and listed the traits which have helped him in his cricketing journey. Pujara said that Kohli's strike rate this season was a strong response to the criticism he faced in the past. 

"It's not easy, but the good part about Virat is that he is one of the fittest cricketers, and he is open to adapting to a new challenge or something different. He is always open to learning new things. People have been criticising him in the past that he wasn't batting at a strike rate of 140-150. Now, if you look at his batting this season, he has answered that question. He has batted at a strike rate of 140-150 and above. So, he has evolved as a batter," shared Pujara while speaking on Star Sports.

Pujara said that what makes Kohli a 'big player' is his ability to learn different nuances even after playing the game for such a long time.

"It doesn't come naturally. You need to work on it, and even to work on it at this age, when he is 36 and has played the game for such a long time, if you are still willing to learn and make a difference to the team, that shows how big a player he is," observed Pujara.

Only one thing was left incomplete in his career, that was the IPL title: Pujara

The renowned commentator also touched upon Kohli's reaction after his side clinched the IPL title, stating that his tears signifed how much the moment meant to him.

"He has achieved a lot in his career, but the one thing he couldn't achieve in his career for so many years was an IPL title. It shows how much it mattered to him because he was working hard to win this title for many years. He was looking very emotional and the tears coming from his eyes show the importance of an IPL title for a cricketer. Virat has many personal achievements in his career and has done a lot with the Indian team. Only one thing was left incomplete in his career, that was the IPL title. RCB won that yesterday (Tuesday), and his dream of winning an IPL title got fulfilled," added Pujara.

Kohli ended up as the third-highest run-scorer in IPL 2025, and the leading run-getter for the Rajat Patidar-led RCB. They emerged victorious at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after securing a six-run victory against Punjab Kings in the title-deciding clash on Tuesday, June 3.