Bangar: Kohli can elevate his strike price anytime

Playing his first T20 for the reason that IPL 2025 ultimate, Virat Kohli guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a giant win of their opening match towards Sunrisers Hyderabad. His unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, which included 5 fours and 5 sixes, helped RCB chase down 202 in 15.2 overs. According to former India batter Ambati Rayudu, “there’s a lot more to come from him”.

“[Kohli] was still looking a little rusty… throughout the innings,” Rayudu stated on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out. “There’s a lot more to come from him, as he gets more tuned in.”

Kohli regarded scratchy in the beginning however Devdutt Padikkal’s blazing 26-ball 61 allowed him to seek out his hitting vary. Kohli took a slight backseat of their 101-run partnership. According to Sanjay Bangar, who has been the top coach of RCB up to now, Kohli’s slower begin was by design.

“If the batsmen around him are doing the job, then he doesn’t really have to put the accelerator on,” Bangar stated. “Because he can raise the bar anytime in terms of strike rate… He can hit those boundaries or sixes at will, when he actually needs to be done.”

When Padikkal departed, captain Rajat Patidar walked in – and he bashed the spinners within the center overs throughout a cameo of 31 off 12 balls. Kohli took over through the ultimate part of the innings, propelling from 50 off 33 to 69 off 38, scoring 19 runs off his ultimate 5 balls to put down a marker for the remainder of the season.

“Once he knows that the game is well within control, he takes great joy in hitting those winning runs,” Bangar stated. “Or at least staying there, and watching his team have those winning moments. It has become a habit.”