Popular commentator and former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has shared his views on Virat Kohli’s batting in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. He believes that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star has changed his approach this season. The main difference, according to him, is the increase in Kohli’s strike rate.
Manjrekar said that Kohli has not changed his overall batting style. Instead, he has decided to play faster. He feels that this shift has come due to the criticism Kohli faced in recent years. Many people had questioned his slow scoring rate in T20 cricket.
“This is, again, going to rile up Virat Kohli fans. We have seen Virat Kohli bat differently, bat superbly this season – at a strike rate of 140-150. This is the same Virat Kohli; there is nothing that has changed. It is only that he has decided that he is going to bat quicker. And why has he decided that? Because he could see the pressure building and people talking about him batting a little too slowly,” he said via Sportstar.
Change in mindset and batting approach
Manjrekar also explained how Kohli’s approach has evolved over time. He said that a strike rate of 150 is now normal for Kohli. However, this was not the case a few years ago.
Earlier, Kohli focused more on building his innings. He used to hit a boundary and then take singles or doubles. This helped him stay longer at the crease. At that time, he felt responsible for carrying the team’s batting.
“This 150 strike rate was 125-130 three to four years back. It was only because Virat Kohli would hit a boundary and then pick up a one or a two. After all, he wanted to extend his innings and play longer because he felt he had to be the man to bat for most of the innings and didn’t trust the batters down the order,” the cricketer-turned-commentator added.
In IPL 2026, Kohli has scored 351 runs in eight matches. He has an average of 58.50. He also has three half-centuries. His strike rate of 162.50 is his best in IPL history.
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