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After his 657-run season in IPL 2025, RCB's Virat Kohli started the 2026 edition from where he had left in the last year, scoring an unbeaten 69 against Sunrisers Hyderabad. In fact, Kohli now has also surpassed Rohit Sharma for most runs against a single team in the history of the IPL.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli plays a shot against CSK in IPL 2026. (ANI Pic Service)Former India cricketers Ravichandran Ashwin and Irfan Pathan observed that Virat Kohli has slightly tweaked his technique over the past couple of years amid the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter's strong and positive start in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Having finished with 657 runs in the last season, Kohli started with an unbeaten 69 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the tournament opener.
However, Kohli was dismissed for 28 against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday. Ashwin, who had played alongside Kohli for the national team across formats, opined that the right-hander has moved away from his controlled approach in 2024 to a more dynamic style at present, which is helping the RCB batter to play shots more freely.
According to Ashwin, Kohli's change in technique is allowing the latter to move his bat with more freedom, thus enabling the former India captain to be in a better position and play more aggressive shots. “Virat was still playing Test cricket in 2024. He was very still, the bat wouldn’t move much,” Ashwin said while speaking on 'Champions vali Commentary' on JioStar.
"But now, here in 2026, the bat is down initially and later he brings it up, which we call potential energy, or the constant movement of the bat, and he is getting into lovely positions. In 2024, his head was so still that even the movement of his feet was balanced, because he was still playing Test cricket then. In 2026, since he doesn’t play Test cricket anymore, he doesn’t have to control his hands as much and is letting them go, going for more shots."
Irfan Pathan weighs on Virat Kohli's SR
With more time for recovery after quitting two formats for the Indian team, Kohli now plays only in the ODIs, with his focus firmly on the 2027 World Cup in Africa. Not only it allows Kohli to recover fully, but also helps the talismanic batter to remain mentally fresh all the time. To add more to that, the extended break also allows Kohli on top his game even in the gruelling two-month long IPL, which he has been playing since 2008.
Echoing Ashwin's remarks Pathan described how Kohli's small change has helped him in his strike rate. “Because of that back-lift, he is getting that momentum, more power, and that is why the strike rate has gone up,” said Pathan on the same show.
"When you are standing still in the prelude, before the bowler bowls, you don’t get the momentum that you want to create to go for big shots. But when you bring the bat down, then up again, you already have that momentum," he added.
What's next for Virat Kohli?
With two wins in two games, Kohli and RCB will now travel to Guwahati to play Rajasthan Royals on April 10 and then to Mumbai to face Mumbai Indians two days later. Meanwhile, on Sunday, during his knock of 28, Kohli surpassed Rohit for most runs in IPL against a single team. The RCB star now has 1174 runs against CSK, whereas Rohit has so far scored 1161 runs against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Catch the live updates from IPL 2026 with the complete IPL 2026 Schedule and the IPL 2026 Points Table. Also, know who are currently leading the charts in IPL 2026 Orange Cap and IPL 2026 Purple Cap.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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