Sanjay Bangar, former RCB coach, said Virat Kohli's slow start in his 69* (38) vs SRH was a deliberate strategy. Bangar noted Kohli let Devdutt Padikkal attack, confident in his own ability to accelerate and finish the game when required.
Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Sanjay Bangar said that Virat Kohli's slower start during his match-defining, unbeaten 38-ball 69 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Saturday was intentional, according to ESPNcricinfo. Notably, RCB, while chasing SRH's 202-run target in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season opener, got off to a blazing start. They were at 51/1 in just four overs. However, most of those runs came from Devdutt Padikkal's bat as he had scored 34 off 11 balls by then. Kohli, on the other hand, had just scored seven runs off six balls.
As Devdutt Padikkal continued his explosive knock of 61 runs off just 26 balls, it also gave Virat Kohli the time to settle in and find his rhythm. The duo went on to build a 101-run partnership, and former Royal Challengers Bengaluru head coach Sanjay Bangar noted that Kohli's slower start was a deliberate strategy.
Bangar Explains the Deliberate Strategy
Sanjay Bangar explained that Virat Kohli doesn't need to attack early if other batters are scoring well, as he has the ability to increase his strike rate and hit boundaries whenever required. "If the batsmen around him are doing the job, then he doesn't really have to put the accelerator on. 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," Bangar said on ESPNcricinfo's 'Time Out.'
After Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed, captain Rajat Patidar came in and attacked the spinners, scoring a quick 31 off just 12 balls. In the final phase, Virat Kohli shifted gears, accelerating from 50 off 33 to an unbeaten 69 off 38, smashing 19 runs in his last five deliveries.
Sanjay Bangar said that once Virat Kohli feels the match is under control, he enjoys finishing the game or staying till the end to witness the win. "Once he knows that the game is well within control, he takes great joy in hitting those winning runs. Or at least staying there, and watching his team have those winning moments. It has become a habit," Bangar said.
IPL 2026 Opener: Match Recap
Coming to the match, Sunrisers Hyderabad, while batting first, staged a strong recovery from an early collapse to post a competitive 201/9 against the defending champions in the IPL 2026 opener. After losing three quick wickets of Abhishek Sharma, Travis Head and Nitish Reddy in the power play, a brilliant knock from Ishan Kishan and key contributions down the order powered Hyderabad past the 200-run mark. Ishan Kishan hammered 80 runs off 38 deliveries, including eight fours and five sixes. Ankiet Verma played a blistering knock of 18-ball 43, including three fours and four maximums. For RCB, Jacob Duffy (3/22) and Romario Shepherd (3/54) scalped three wickets apiece. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/31), Abhinandan Singh (1/38), and Suyash Sharma (1/28) bagged one wicket apiece.
RCB's Record-Breaking Chase
In response, Kohli played a match-winning, unbeaten knock of 69 off 38 deliveries, including five fours and as many sixes. Apart from him, Impact Player Devdutt Padikkal hammered 61 off 26 balls, with seven fours and four sixes. Skipper Rajat Patidar played a blistering knock of 12 balls for 31, with three sixes and two fours as Bengaluru won the high-scoring contest by four wickets.
The defending champions also chase down the fastest 200-plus runs in the history of IPL. Bengaluru chase down the 202-run target in 15.4 overs.
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