Talismanic batter Virat Kohli said his recent ODI form played a crucial role in helping him maintain rhythm and momentum as he returned to T20 cricket with an unbeaten 69 and star in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s emphatic six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“It’s good to get back out there. You mentioned T20 cricket, the last game I played was the final last year, but I think the way I batted in the one-day series quite recently really helped me to stay in that same kind of momentum. I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t usually play.
“So I knew as long as I have the rhythm, and I’ve put enough work physically behind the scenes with my fitness, things should come together nicely. Tonight was another chance to start strong and build on this,” said Kohli to broadcasters at the conclusion of the game.
Kohli enthralled the RCB home crowd with an unbeaten 69 off 38 balls, laced with five fours and five sixes, as he registered his 64th IPL fifty and became the first batter in IPL history to cross 4000 runs in chases.
Reflecting on the breaks he has due to playing only ODIs for India, Kohli stated, “The kind of scheduling that we’ve had over the last 15 years and the amount of cricket I’ve played, for me, there was always a risk of getting burnt out rather than being undercooked. So these breaks help me mentally. I stay fresh and excited.
“Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120 percent. I’m not coming back underprepared. In fact, the extra rest helps me mentally freshen up. As long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, both those things come together nicely. Then you’re able to contribute to the team’s cause, and that’s what you want to do as a player. You don’t want to just hold on to a spot; you want to keep performing and keep putting in the work for the team.”
Kohli also hailed Devdutt Padikkal’s rollicking 61 off 26 balls that set the tone for RCB’s chasing down SRH’s 201/9 with 26 balls to spare and begin their title defence in style. “Outstanding knock. I mean, right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike and pick the odd boundary here and there. He completely took the game away from the opposition.
Asked on his chat with Padikkal in the middle, Kohli said, “I even told him, that shot he hit off the slower ball over mid-on for six, at that moment I said, just keep going. You’re hitting the ball amazingly well, just keep pushing and take the game away from the opposition.
“If we finish with 25-26 balls to spare, we’ll also benefit in terms of net run rate. His knock was tremendous. I’ve seen him at close quarters, the skill he has and now he’s applying it.
“This is also at the back of a great domestic red-ball season. His timing, head position, balance, absolutely world-class. I know what he can do with the bat when he’s confident, and tonight was a display of his sheer talent,” he concluded.
