Kamal Ghorui
Virat Kohli showed once again why he remains one of the best in the IPL, playing an unbeaten 69 to help RCB chase down 202 comfortably. After a long break from T20 cricket, he looked in top form and played a key role in the team’s strong start to the 2026 season.Former South African pacer Dale Steyn praised Kohli’s growth as a batter, especially his improved six-hitting ability in recent seasons. “A lot of players, when they reach the level Virat Kohli is at right now, look to change their game by a couple of percentages. That is what Virat has been doing every IPL season. He looks for ways to improve himself and the new improvement which he has made in his game is his six-hitting ability, which has increased over the last two seasons,” Steyn said on JioStar.
Steyn also explained how Kohli’s mindset has changed over time, adding, “In the past, Virat had a set mindset of playing a particular shot. But now, his mentality has changed a lot after retiring from Test cricket. Virat is so good and backs himself so much that he is able to execute the aerial shots time and again. This just shows the class of the man.”Stats also show Kohli has become more attacking in the powerplay over the years. His intent has steadily increased, making him more dangerous at the top.Devdutt Padikkal highlighted how Kohli’s presence helped him play freely during the chase. “When I came out to bat, Virat bhai’s only instruction was to keep the run-rate up and put pressure on the bowlers. My job was to take risks while he anchored the chase. His presence took the pressure off me and let me play freely,” Padikkal said after the match.“The credit for the evolution and improvement of my game goes to our head coach Andy Flower and our batting coach Dinesh Karthik, bhai. They really worked hard on me.”
