Popular commentator and former cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar Manjrekar has expressed himself regarding the batting strike rate of Virat Kohli in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026. Manjrekar believes that the Royal Challengers Bangalore star batsman has increased his batting pace in the IPL, as he can clearly feel the criticism that existed around his cautious approach in the tournament.
The former India batsman believes that there has been no notable change in Kohli's batting apart from the strike rate. The Mumbai-born player believes that Kohli's approach stems from the fact that the pressure and external noise on the pace at which he bats has increased in the last two or three years.
“This is, again, going to raise outrage Virat Kohli fan. We have seen Virat Kohli bat differently, brilliantly, this season – at a strike rate of 140-150. This is the same Virat Kohli; There is nothing that has changed. The only thing is that he has decided that he will bat fast. And why has he taken such a decision? Because he could see the pressure was increasing and people were talking about him batting too slow,'' he said via Sportstar.
Manjrekar said batting around a strike rate of 150 is the new normal for the experienced campaigner, but that was not the case a few years ago. According to Manjrekar, Kohli wanted to rotate the strike after hitting the first four, but now, he is looking to attack as RCB has a much better and reliable batting line-up, even if one or two wickets fall early in the innings.
“This 150 strike rate was 125-130 three to four years ago. That was only because Virat Kohli used to hit a four and then take a run or two. Ultimately, he wanted to extend his innings and play for longer periods because he felt he would have to bat most of the innings and he did not trust the lower-order batsmen,” the cricketer-turned-commentator said.
Notably, the veteran batsman currently has 351 runs in eight innings in IPL 2026. He is fourth in the list. Top run scorers of the season So far, he has batted at an impressive average of 58.50, which includes three half-centuries, and a strike rate of 162.50. This is Kohli's highest strike rate since his debut in the inaugural season of IPL in 2008.
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