Table of Contents
Virat Kohli still enjoys the game and shows the same amount of hunger and will to win every match. The 37-year-old batter is not showing any sign of slowing down and is, without any doubt, a gem in the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) vault.
Former Team India and RCB batter Mohammad Kaif reckoned that the star batter has significantly developed his batting style in the IPL 2026 season to meet modern T20 cricket expectations.
Virat Kohli lacks no flair even after retirement
Virat Kohli has retired from T20 International cricket after winning the 2024 T20I World Cup, but continues to play for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru. With him as the heart of the team, RCB, which had to wait for almost 18 years to claim its maiden title, was crowned the best in back-to-back seasons. In both the 2025 and 2026 seasons, Virat Kohli played an instrumental role in RCB’s triumph.
Kaif emphasized that Virat is going to play two or three more seasons, as he is enjoying the game pretty much. Strike rate is among the crucial parameters nowadays, which Virat has dealt with on his own terms and methods of batting. Pointing out Virat’s T20 runs, the former cricketer mentions that the batter has given importance to strike rate on purpose.
He has to play for two to three more years: Kaif
“I feel Virat Kohli is enjoying. He knows he has to play for two to three more years. He will play on his own terms and even answer those who questioned his strike rate. Look at the very first game against Hyderabad and the final; he has given importance to strike rate on purpose,” Mohammad Kaif said on his YouTube channel.
“He has scored 14000 T20 runs, which is a lot, and he is improving yourself time and again; that hunger you will not see anywhere. Now, he wants to show people who are questioning him. In a 155 chase, if it were a Kohli from three to four years before, he would play run-a-ball, but he wants to show he can dominate.”
Sai Sudharshan’s sledging went wrong
During the IPL 2026 final, Gujarat Titans player Sai Sudharshan tried to play some mind games with Virat Kohli in the second innings when RCB was chasing a target of 156 runs. Sudharshan’s effort went in vain as the batting maestro remained not out for 75 off 42 balls at a strike rate of 178.57 and secured the second consecutive title for Bengaluru.
Kaif mentions that sledging motivates Virat to play more confidently, as he enjoys it on the ground. “If a player makes up his mind that there is a point to prove, then he will play like this. I noticed one more thing: he wants someone to talk to him in a big game. I think he is the only player in the world who wants that contest to be there,” Kaif added.
“He was talking to Sai, and a light banter happened there… He enjoys this. It brings extra motivation and a different energy to his batting. He wants someone to sledge with him. People think what he is doing, but that is his method.”
Read More: Jos Buttler exposes Ashish Nehra’s surprise call in RCB vs GT IPL 2026 Final
