Virat Kohli was Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) worst player of the day against the Mumbai Indians (MI). His half-century was one of the worst knocks of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. In fact, his getting out in the 15th over was the best thing for RCB.
Virat ‘slow’ Kohli
At the exact ball he got out, RCB’s run rate was 12.61. However, he was scoring at just 8.06 or a strike rate of 131.58. If one excludes Kohli’s contribution, 50 off 38, RCB scored 135 runs in 8.2 overs. That’s a whopping 16.46 runs per over. If anything, his innings benefited MI.
Kohli took 37 balls to reach his 65th fifty in the IPL. His opening partner, Phil Salt, reached the milestone in just 25 balls. RCB captain Rajat Patidar needed just 17. Salt faced 2 fewer balls, 36, and scored 28 more runs than Kohli did. Patidar faced 18 fewer balls, scoring 3 more runs.
The frustrating bit was that Kohli had got a better start than Salt did. After the 4th over, he was 20 (11). His strike rate was higher than Salt’s. However, from that moment on, it all went downhill for him. By the end of the 8th over, Kohli scored just 5 runs in the next 8 balls.
| Batters | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Salt | 78 | 36 | 6 | 6 | 216.66 |
| Virat Kohli | 50 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 131.57 |
| Rajat Patidar | 53 | 20 | 4 | 5 | 265.00 |
| Tim David | 34 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 212.50 |
Salt & Patidar’s modern T20 hitting masterclass
Now, some may contribute to the lack of strike behind the slowdown. Since Salt was the one primarily facing the deliveries, Kohli couldn’t get the rhythm going. That’s a fair point. But he couldn’t even score run a ball. When Salt departed for 78 in the 11th over, his strike rate was 216.67. When Kohli got out in the 15th, his score was 131.58. Patidar was even more destructive; he went at 265 in the 15th over.
Just after Salt departed, New Zealand cricketer-turned-commentator Simon Doull suggested that Kohli should be retired out, like Ayush Mhatre had been the day before. The fact that this was even thought of shows how poorly Kohli batted. Without his slowdown, RCB could’ve easily scored in excess of 250 with Tim David, Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd waiting.
Middle overs issue persists
In fact, his knock could be the exact reason why RCB could even lose the game. For long, many have criticised his ability to increase the scoring rate in the middle overs. That was again an issue today. Until the powerplay, Kohli scored 22 (14). After it ended, he managed just 28 (24).
That too on a pitch where two of the top three, Salt and Patidar, faced fewer balls and scored more runs. It’s not like Kohli hasn’t tried to evolve. He’s trying to sweep and has upped his powerplay intent. But he’s still the modern T20 curve, and it could be an issue for RCB. If not today, then in the future.
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