Another cricketer has praised Virat Kohli after his crucial knock in the opening game of the Indian Premier League against Sunrisers Hyderabad. This time, it is former South African cricketer Dale Steyn who has appreciated Kohli’s six-hitting ability in the later stages of his career.
Virat Kohli, who was earlier known for taking singles and playing grounded, classy shots, has now transformed into a batter who can consistently clear the boundary. Over the last two seasons, he has developed into a powerful six-hitter. In the opening match, he hit as many sixes as fours, highlighting a remarkable shift in his approach. This is an impressive evolution that Kohli has showcased over the past couple of years.
Dale Steyn Breaks Down Virat Kohli’s New Six-Hitting Approach
Dale Steyn believes that this transformation in Virat Kohli’s batting is not accidental but a result of conscious effort and adaptation to modern T20 demands. He pointed out that Kohli has worked on his range of shots, especially targeting the shorter boundaries and using his strong base to generate power.
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Steyn also highlighted that Kohli’s improved strike rate and intent make him even more dangerous in the shortest format. Earlier, Virat Kohli used to anchor the innings, but now he is capable of accelerating at will, putting pressure back on the bowlers.
“A lot of players, when they reach the level Virat Kohli is at right now, look to change their game by a couple of percentages. That is what Virat has been doing every IPL season. He looks for ways to improve himself and the new improvement which he has made in his game is his six-hitting ability, which has increased over the last two seasons,” Steyn was quoted as saying on JioStar.
A Complete T20 Batter: Virat Kohli’s Mindset Shift
Steyn further added that this version of Kohli is a complete T20 batter, someone who can rotate strike when needed and switch gears instantly to dominate the opposition. With this new approach, Kohli has not only silenced critics but has also set a benchmark for consistency combined with aggression in modern-day cricket.
“As a batter, it’s about recognising a ball that you want to hit for a six. In the past, Virat had a set mindset of playing a particular shot. But now, his mentality has changed a lot after retiring from Test cricket. Virat is so good and backs himself so much that he is able to execute the aerial shots time and again. This just shows the class of the man,” he added.
What This Means for IPL 2026
With this new aggressive intent, Virat Kohli could emerge as one of the most dangerous batters in IPL 2026. If he continues in this form, he may not just anchor innings but also dominate bowling attacks, making the Royal Challengers Bengaluru a serious title contender this season.
Numbers from CricViz further underline Kohli’s growing attacking intent, especially during the powerplay overs. Back in 2020, his attacking shot percentage in the first six overs stood at 31.5 per cent. This figure gradually rose to 37.8 per cent in 2021 and then jumped significantly to 45.5 per cent in 2022.
The upward trend continued in 2023, with his attacking intent reaching 54.6 per cent. By 2024, it had surged to 60.6 per cent, and in 2025, Kohli’s attacking shot percentage in the powerplay climbed to an impressive 66.3 per cent.
However, it will be really interesting to see how bowlers come up with new plans to stop the run-machine from leading his team to another Indian Premier League final.
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