New Zealand batter Kane Williamson has backed Virat Kohli to make a strong impact in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. Williamson, who went unsold in the IPL mega auction, will be part of the commentary panel this season. Speaking to the media, he expressed confidence in Kohli’s ability to deliver yet another stand-out performance and push Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) towards their long-awaited maiden IPL title. “No doubt he’s going to have a big impact again as he has done in almost every season of this tournament. I know he’s extremely motivated with RCB to push for a title, and I’m sure this season they’ll be there or thereabouts,” Williamson said. Virat Kohli is coming into IPL 2025 after a successful ICC Champions Trophy campaign, where he finished with 218 runs- making him India's second-highest scorer behind Shreyas Iyer. Also Read: ‘Very Daunting’: RCB Coach Andy Flower Takes a Dig at KKR Reflecting on Kohli’s evolution as a cricketer, Williamson highlighted how the Indian star has adapted his game over the years while maintaining the same passion and intensity. “It’s quite interesting as players go through different stages of their careers, different phases. He’s obviously been on the scene for a number of years, but his style perhaps adjusts a little bit. But the hunger remains and the passion remains, and we’ve seen that in his performances recently as well,” Williamson added. Kane Williamson on lifting saliva ban Williamson also shared his thoughts on the BCCI’s recent decision to lift the saliva ban, allowing players to use saliva on the ball again. He believes that even a small advantage for bowlers could improve the balance between bat and ball in the tournament. “In my experience playing white-ball cricket, it’s always been tough to keep the white ball shining. Whether this rule change will have a big effect, we’ll have to wait and see. But if it helps even a bit, that could benefit the game,” he said. With IPL 2024 witnessing high-scoring matches and bowlers struggling for assistance, Williamson pointed out that any extra swing could make the tournament more competitive. “If saliva does help with the swing, that would be fantastic for the competition,” he concluded.