Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar praised star RCB batsman Virat Kohli as his heroics led the team to two consecutive IPL titles.
Manjrekar talked about Virat Kohli’s brilliant batting performance in IPL 2026 in a video posted on his Instagram account. Kohli finished IPL 2026 as RCB’s season-highest run-scorer and won the Player of the Match award in the final.
Manjrekar analyzes Kohli’s new batting template in the T20 format which has made RCB the third team to defend their IPL title.
Virat Kohli in IPL 2026
In IPL 2026, Virat Kohli created a new record by becoming the first batsman to cross the 600-run mark in four consecutive IPL seasons.
Overall, he scored 675 runs in 16 matches and finished fourth in the Orange Cap table. His batting average was 56.25 and strike rate was 166. Including his unbeaten 75 in the final, he scored 5 half-centuries and one century in the season.
He also hit 73 fours in the season, the third most by any player. Just like in 2025, Kohli became the leading run-scorer for RCB in an IPL season when his team won the title in 2026.
In the final against Gujarat Titans, Kohli guided RCB to the 156-run target by scoring an unbeaten 75 despite the fall of wickets at the other end. His innings earned him the Player of the Match award.
“He bats in third and fourth gear” – Manjrekar
In a video posted on his Instagram handle, Manjrekar said that Kohli has found the ideal template for batting in T20 cricket.
He said Kohli knew he had to bat at a higher strike rate than usual, and hence was taking advantage in the powerplay with only two fielders outside the circle.
“At this stage, watching him in this tournament, he has mastered the art of T20 batting which is essential in IPL cricket. It means he now knows he has to score runs at a strike rate of 150 to 160. So he takes advantage in the first six overs. The most important thing is that he has got this power game, which is almost optimal. It is almost as if he is in third and fourth gear, whereas others have a strike rate of 200. Trying to hit 230 and 230,” Manjrekar said.
Manjrekar then pointed out that Virat Kohli, unlike most other batsmen in the powerplay this year, was not dependent on mishits and lucky drops to flourish.
Manjrekar further added, “Because of that, some mistakes happen and they have to be lucky to drop a catch, and then their innings goes on. Virat Kohli has made sure that there are no mistakes as he is hitting the ball long enough to cross the boundary line, which ensures that his technique and balance is right. The bottom hand jab comes into play.”
“He is still more dependent on fours” – Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar observed that, despite batting at a higher strike rate than his habit, Kohli was still relying on his reliable method of hitting more fours than sixes.
In IPL 2026, Virat Kohli hit 73 fours while only 25 sixes.
Manjrekar also said that Kohli’s new methods can easily serve RCB for a few more years.
Manjrekar said, “When hitting boundaries, Kohli is still big on fours rather than sixes, as he does in white-ball international cricket. Having mastered the art of T20 batting, I don’t think this will go away from Kohli any time soon. He will keep working on his fitness, and he has found this template to be consistent and run with the modern times of strike rate. This form of Virat Kohli will be around for some time, and as such, RCB are very lucky. And in a way, it will be very worthy also.”
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