IPL 2026: Kohli's six-hitting ability has increased in the last two seasons, believes Steyn

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) Former South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn has hailed Virat Kohli’s evolution as a batter in the Indian Premier League (IPL), pointing out that his enhanced six-hitting ability over the last two seasons of the competition has been a standout factor.

At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli left everyone spellbound by hitting an unbeaten 69 and helping RCB begin their title defence by chasing down a target of 202 in 15.4 overs. Kohli entered IPL 2026 after a ten-month break from T20s and making 93, 23 and 124 in three ODIs against New Zealand in January.

“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.

“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,” said Steyn on JioStar.

Numbers from CricViz also show how Kohli has upped his attacking intent in the powerplay in the IPL. In 2020, Kohli’s attacking shot percentage in the first six overs stood at 31.5 per cent. The following year saw a rise to 37.8 per cent, before climbing further to 45.5 per cent in 2022.

The upward curve continued in 2023, when his attacking intent touched 54.6 per cent. By 2024, the figure had surged to 60.6 per cent, while, in 2025, Kohli’s attacking shot percentage in the powerplay rose to 66.3 per cent. RCB’s top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal credited Kohli’s presence for helping the side complete the chase with 26 balls to spare.

“It feels good to start off the new season with a win, especially at Bengaluru. The Chinnaswamy Stadium holds a special place in our hearts, and we wanted to give back to our fans who helped us win the trophy last year.

“When I came out to bat, Virat bhai’s only instruction was to keep the run-rate up and put pressure on the bowlers. My job was to take risks while he anchored the chase. His presence took the pressure off me and let me play freely.

“We knew SRH’s bowling is not very strong, so we believed we could chase down the target in a smooth manner. We lost Phil Salt early, but it was important to keep the pressure on, so SRH wouldn’t get the chance to come back into the game. We did that well and secured the win,” he said.

Padikkal also acknowledged the role of RCB head coach Andy Flower and batting coach Dinesh Karthik in shaping his aggressive batting style in T20s. “The credit for the evolution and improvement of my game goes to our head coach Andy Flower and our batting coach Dinesh Karthik, bhai. They really worked hard on me.

“It wasn’t easy because there was a lot I needed to change. It wasn’t just technical; it was a lot mentally as well. I needed to really believe that I can play this aggressive brand of cricket. Over the last five or six years, T20 cricket has evolved a lot.

“When I first came into the IPL in 2020, the cricket we played was very different from what is being played now. So, it was important that I believe in myself that I can do it. I feel Andy and DK helped me get there,” he concluded.

--IANS

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