Ex-India Cricketer's Take On Virat Kohli's Strike Rate Sets IPL Buzzing

Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Virat Kohli’s strike rate has gone up to 140-plus in IPL 2026 due to the constant criticism received by him from experts, who have pointed out how his below-par strike rates have often affected Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s batting.

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Across his first 16 seasons in the Indian Premier League, Kohli managed a strike rate above 140 in just three campaigns. Consecutive underwhelming seasons in 2021 and 2022, where he recorded strike rates of 119.47 and 115.99, only intensified the pressure on him.

Kohli showed clear signs of evolution in IPL 2023, batting with greater freedom at the top alongside Faf du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell. He took it a step

further the following year, dominating attacks to clinch his second Orange Cap with a brilliant strike rate of 154.7.

“This is, again, going to rile up Virat Kohli fans. We have seen Virat Kohli bat differently, bat superbly this season, a strike rate of 140-150. This is the same Virat Kohli; there is nothing that has changed,” Manjrekar said while speaking to Sportstar.

“It is only that he has decided that he is going to bat quicker. And why has he decided that? Because he could see the pressure building and people talking about him batting a little too slowly,” Manjrekar added.

Kohli carried his 2024 form into the 2025 title-winning campaign, maintaining a strong strike rate of 144.71.

“This 150 strike rate was 125-130, three to four years back. It was only because Virat Kohli would hit a boundary and then pick up a one or a two. After all, he wanted to extend his innings and play longer, because he felt he had to be the man to bat most of the innings and didn’t trust the batters down the order,” Manjrekar said.

“RCB changed when Virat Kohli was at the top, started batting quicker and didn’t make himself indispensable. That is when the others also blossomed,” Manjrekar added.