Virat Kohli's masterclass, unbeaten knock of 75, led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to victory in the IPL 2026 Final against the Gujarat Titans. Reflecting on his performance, Kohli emphasized his tactical approach of focusing on hitting fours over sixes, proving that calculated precision can triumph over sheer power-hitting in T20 cricket.
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli delivered a masterclass performance in the team’s IPL 2026 Final win over the Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, May 31.
Kohli played an unbeaten knock of 75 off 42 balls, hitting 9 fours and 3 sixes at a strike rate of 178.57, to help chase down the 156-run target with two overs to spare and successfully defend their championship, cementing the franchise’s status as the IPL’s new dynasty. The veteran batter hit a winning six to take the team past the finishing line to seal his side's place in history.
Entering the title clash against GT with a modest record in IPL finals, Virat Kohli was determined to script a different narrative in his 19th season. Having scored only one fifty in the previous four IPL finals, the former RCB captain leaned into his tactical maturity to deliver the fastest half-century of his IPL career, a blistering 25-ball effort that effectively shut the door on the Titans’ hopes.
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Beyond the Six-Hitting Hype: Kohli’s Pivot to Boundary-Based Brilliance
Through the IPL season, several batters hinged on explosive power-hitting and record-shattering sixes to dominate the league, with the 15–year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi shattering Chris Gayle’s record for most sixes in a single edition of the tournament. However, Kohli offered a timely reminder that the game’s highest levels still reward tactical precision over sheer brute force.
Reflecting on his evolution in a season where power-hitting became the gold standard, Kohli offered a candid perspective on his personal blueprint for success, stating that his game is built on high-percentage cricket rather than chasing the viral nature of maximums.
“I'm not a guy who will hit 40-50 sixes in a season, but I can hit 70-80 fours. I really worked on that aspect of my game. I'm going to hit the shots I can hit more often and take the bowlers on. That's always been my goal to be as consistent and impactful as possible,” Kohli said in a video shared by IPL.
“I'm not a guy who will hit 40-50 sixes in a season, but I can hit 70-80 fours. I really worked on that aspect of my game. I'm going to hit the shots I can hit more often and take the bowlers on. That's always been my goal to be as consistent and impactful as possible,” he added.
Out of 96 boundaries, Virat Kohli hit 25 fours, meaning that nearly one-quarter of his total boundary output was derived from his clinical ability to find the gaps rather than relying on the aerial route. At an average of nearly two sixes in 16 matches, Kohli’s numbers have starkly contrasted with the season's power-hitters, proving that his calculated selection of shots was the engine behind RCB’s title defence.
Virat Kohli’s Tactical Manifesto
The veteran RCB batter admitted that the modern game demands a versatile approach, emphasizing that true impact comes from adaptability rather than just one-dimensional power-hitting.
“The game is changing pretty rapidly. Just an opportunity for me to look at areas where I can get better. The explosive side of the game was something that needs to be taken care of nowadays. I try to prepare a well-rounded game and try to implement that as best as I can in every situation that I play,” Kohli said.
“That's the only thing I urge the youngsters to understand. Play according to the situation and the demands of the game. If you stay with the situation of the game, you're always going to be able to find solutions,” he added.
Virat Kohli finished the season as the fourth leading run-getter, with 675 runs, including a century and 5 fifties, at an average of 56.25 and a strike rate of 165.84. Despite returning to T20 cricket after a year, Kohli didn’t show any sign of rust, delivering a season that perfectly encapsulated his enduring class and adaptability.
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