Kamal Ghorui
Speaking on Star Sports as a JioStar expert, Dasgupta pointed to Delhi’s recent heavy defeat against Punjab Kings (PBKS) as a key concern.
“I think RCB have the edge ahead of their match against DC because DC are short on confidence, especially after the way they lost their last match against Punjab,” he said.
He added that while Delhi’s massive total in that game showed their batting strength, their bowling and fielding remained a major concern.
IPL Live: Constantly rediscovers with every passing year’: Dinesh Karthik praises Virat Kohli’s consistency in IPL
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batting coach and mentor Dinesh Karthik praised legendary batter Virat Kohli ahead of the team’s Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 fixture against Delhi Capitals on Monday.
Karthilk hailed Kohli for rediscovering his form every passing year and keeping up with the pace of the format while playing in the IPL.
Virat Kohli has fallen short of the 400-run mark in an IPL season only twice–once in 2017 and again in 2022. In the current season, he has already scored 328 runs in seven innings, maintaining an impressive average of 54.66 and a strike rate of 163.18.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash against DC, Karthik praised Kohli for his ability to continually reinvent himself each year and stay competitive in modern T20 cricket. He highlighted that despite the game’s increasing pace and the rise of players with extremely high strike rates, Kohli consistently adapts and delivers match-winning performances, making his long-term consistency and evolution especially remarkable.
“Credit to him, that man constantly rediscovers with every passing year. And for him to keep up with the pace of this game, and some of the newer players are batting at insane strike rates, and he is going shoulder to shoulder with them and producing match-winning performances. So I marvel at how he rediscovers himself every year, almost,” Karthik said.
Karthik said that Kohli is highly methodical in his approach, regularly reviewing his performances and setting a clear improvement plan each year. He added that Kohli is disciplined and persistent in sticking to his process, not just during matches but also in training, where he constantly evaluates and refines his game.
“That man goes back every year, and he is assessing what he has done. And he almost comes with a very stubborn plan about how he wants to go about it. And he gets it done not on match days alone but the way he practises as well. And he has a method to how he goes about it and he’s constantly checking himself in practise,” he said.
