Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has drawn a correlation between Virat Kohli’s shift in batting approach in the IPL this season and Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s surge in dominance. They are currently placed second on the table, having lost just two games so far. Although he termed it a more “mental than technical” change in approach, Manjrekar risked backlash by revealing what he believes to be the true reason behind the shift.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's Virat Kohli during the IPL match against Delhi Capitals (PTI)
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Kohli has predominantly been an anchor batter in the T20 format. And amid the changing dynamics of the shortest format, the dip in his strike rate to 119.47 and 115.99 during the 2021 and 2022 IPL seasons, respectively, triggered massive criticism, with many even questioning his place in the RCB and even the Team India line-up at the time.
Kohli, who became the first batter in IPL history to amass 9000 runs, improved his strike rate significantly to 154.69 in 2024. Although it dipped slightly to 144.71 the following year, he has been scoring at his best strike rate in 2026, currently at 162.50.
Speaking to Sportstar, Manjrekar said the shift in Kohli’s approach has been largely mental. “You’re seeing Virat Kohli bat differently… nothing technical has changed. It’s only that he’s decided that he’s going to bat quicker,” he said.
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Speaking to Sportstar, Manjrekar said the shift in Kohli’s approach has been largely mental. “You’re seeing Virat Kohli bat differently… nothing technical has changed. It’s only that he’s decided that he’s going to bat quicker,” he said.
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The former India batter then broke it down, explaining that Kohli earlier relied heavily on strike rotation and taking the game deep, largely because RCB lacked depth in the lower order. However, he now appears to trust his teammates more, allowing him to play with greater freedom at the top and score quicker in the powerplay. This shift, according to Manjrekar, has helped RCB evolve into a stronger batting unit.
“He wanted to extend his innings and play longer because he felt he had to be the one batting through most of it and didn’t quite trust the batters down the order,” Manjrekar said. “RCB changed when Virat Kohli at the top started batting a little quicker and didn’t make himself almost indispensable. That’s when the others also blossomed under him.”
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However, Manjrekar added—at the risk of facing backlash—that he believes the real reason behind Kohli’s change in approach stems from the criticism he faced over his strike rates in previous IPL seasons.
“This is, again, going to rile people up. We have seen Virat Kohli bat differently and superbly this season, at a strike rate of 140–150. This is the same Virat Kohli; nothing has changed,” he said. “It’s only that he has decided 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.”
In IPL 2026, Kohli has scored 351 runs and is already a strong contender for the Orange Cap.
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.
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Home/Cricket/Virat Kohli's 'mental shift' behind RCB dominance, but Sanjay Manjrekar decodes actual reason at risk of backlash
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