Eoin Morgan Recalls Virat Kohli of 2010: 'His Hunger Hasn’t Changed in 15 Years'

IPL 2025: Eoin Morgan remembers his teammate from 2010, Virat Kohli, before RCB vs CSK on 3 May.

IPL 2025: Eoin Morgan recalls his former teammate, Virat Kohli.

(Photo: BCCI)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s maiden triumph over Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium happened to coincide with the season where Virat Kohli — then a 21-year-old emerging star — came of age in the Indian Premier League (IPL), after underwhelming returns in the first couple of editions. In that clash on 23 March, 2010, Kohli, batting at number five, scored a punchy 24 off 16 balls.

Fifteen years on, Kohli — now one of the finest to ever play the game — is set to take on an MS Dhoni-led CSK again on 3 May. Prior to the match, former England captain Eoin Morgan reminisces about the 2010 version of Kohli, for he, too, had played in that fixture fifteen years ago, batting alongside the former Indian skipper.

Responding to a question from The Quint, Morgan, who is currently working as an expert for JioStar, stated:

I remember that in 2010, Virat was a young, aspiring talent trying to fulfil that potential in the best way he could. The senior players around him then were guys like Jacques Kallis, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid, Dale Steyn, Mark Boucher, Kevin Pietersen. The names were endless, and they had all played a huge amount of international cricket. So, for a young player like him, there was enough immediate inspiration.

Josh Hazlewood

There might not be many similarities between the 2010 and 2025 Kohli, albeit, says Morgan, his insatiable hunger for success had remained ever the same.

What is remarkable is that the one thing that hasn’t changed in Virat is the hunger, the desire, and the level of intensity he brings to every single game. It’s the same now as it was 15 years ago. Maintaining that kind of intensity and channeling it in the right way is probably what makes him the player he is. To watch him turn up game after game, and to visibly see just how much he wants to win for his team — it’s great entertainment, and that’s what this great sport is all about.

Josh Hazlewood

Salt, Hazlewood Deserve Credit for Remoulding RCB: Eoin Morgan

With seven wins and 14 points in 10 matches, RCB are currently third in the standings, with a win against a bottom-ranked CSK guaranteed to take them to the pinnacle. Morgan attributes much of their 2025 resurgence to strategic clarity and fearless intent at the top.

The one thing I’ve really enjoyed watching this year has been Phil Salt at the top of the order and Virat Kohli — the way they’ve gone about their business. The pure aggression they’ve shown at the top has allowed them to carry that same mentality through the middle order. It’s not always just about the volume of runs. I thought they built some nice momentum away from home and then came back to the Chinnaswamy and got their first win.

Josh Hazlewood

Barring Salt and Kohli, Morgan also credited Australian pacer Josh Hazlewood for RCB’s comfortable stay at the top half of the table. Notably, Hazlewood is currently second on the list of leading wicket-takers with 18 scalps, only one shy of the current owner of Purple Cap, Prasidh Krishna.

Apart from that, their bowling has been very impressive — Josh Hazlewood in particular. I know people joke that he has planted more trees in Bangalore than most gardeners, given the number of dot balls he’s bowled. But it’s really impressive to see one of the best Test bowlers in the world apply himself like this and be a brilliant multi-format player — like he was during CSK’s successful campaign in 2021. Things are shaping up nicely, and if you’re an RCB fan, you’ve got a lot to cheer about.

Josh Hazlewood

(Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Chennai Super Kings will be shown live and exclusively on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network, from 7:30pm on 3 May).