• Source:JND
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Despite being out of action for nearly two months for India, Virat Kohli is set to return to the field in the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) for his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Kohli, who is yet to join RCB's pre-season camp in home base Bengaluru, will be in action in the tournament opener against defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 22.

Ahead of the start of the marquee tournament, former India batter Mohammad Kaif opined that Kohli will continue his stellar form with the bat and will play a lipchin in RCB's playoffs hopes.

“Virat Kohli has been playing amazing cricket from the last 1-2 years; he has been in good form. I remember during the Asia Cup when he scored a century against Afghanistan; since then, he hasn’t looked back. He has been in amazing form since then, and when a player like Virat Kohli is in form, he knows how to make runs in every match; he was also the player of the tournament during the World Cup. So I think he’s going to continue this amazing form," Kaif told Star Sports on the show ‘Game Plan’.

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The 35-year-old finished the ODI World Cup with a record-breaking 765 runs, the most by any batter in any edition of the quadrennial tournament. He scored at an impressive average of 95.62 and hammered three centuries and six fifties.

He was instrumental in India's runners-up finish in the tournament. Before that also, Kohli was on fire since his return to international after the break in 2022.

Kohli missed the recently concluded home Test series against England for the birth of his second child - Akaay- with his wife Anushka Sharma.

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The veteran batter feels that the break will do good for Kohli as it did in past.

"One special thing about Virat Kohli is that every time he comes back from a break, he plays really well. Most players want to be in touch and play regularly to get in form, but Virat Kohli every time when he comes back from the break, he comes across as a more dangerous batsman," Kaif said.

“Yes, there are Green and Maxwell in the team, but Virat Kohli’s form will decide RCB’s place in the playoffs. It’s important that Virat Kohli is in form with Maxwell and Green for RCB to qualify for the playoffs," he added.