Not every half-century needs to be explosive to be important. Virat Kohli reminded everyone of that during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL 2026.
Virat Kohli scored 50 off 38 balls in a high-scoring match. While RCB went on to win by 18 runs, his strike rate of 131.58 was the lowest among batters who faced at least 10 deliveries. His innings started well in the powerplay but slowed down later which drew some criticism.
At the other end, Phil Salt played a blistering knock of 78 off 36 balls and Rajat Patidar added a quick 53 from just 20 deliveries. Their aggressive approach helped RCB reach a massive total of 240 for 4.
The contrast in scoring rates even led to on-air comments from Simon Doull who suggested that Kohli might have been asked to speed up or risk being replaced.
However, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh had a different view. He felt that Virat Kohli’s role was misunderstood. According to him, Virat played a crucial part by holding the innings together and ensuring RCB didn’t lose early wickets. While others attacked, the former RCB skipper provided stability, allowing his teammates to play freely.
Bhajji also pointed out how Virat Kohli handled tough bowlers smartly. Against Jasprit Bumrah, he chose to play cautiously, but he made sure to score against the rest whenever possible. It was a calculated innings rather than a slow one.
In the second innings, it was RCB’s bowling that made the difference. Krunal Pandya stood out with an excellent spell, giving away just 26 runs in four overs and picking up the key wicket of Suryakumar Yadav.
Harbhajan Singh praised Krunal for his smart bowling, explaining that T20 success is not just about big turn but about understanding conditions, using angles and varying pace. He also highlighted that performances like these prove spinners can succeed even at venues like Wankhede Stadium.
In the end, while Virat Kohli’s strike rate sparked debate, his contribution helped set the platform for a big total and RCB walked away with a convincing win.
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