Virat Kohli admitted he is still short of full fitness despite playing a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) comfortable five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Match 23 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
Chasing 147, Kohli top-scored with a fluent 49 as RCB completed the chase in just 15.1 overs to return to the top of the points table. The former captain, however, revealed that he has been dealing with both a knee concern and illness in recent days.
“Much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore in the last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now. So, I’m just getting back to my best. I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, I would have liked to carry on and finish the game. Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well. The pitch slowed down considerably, and I just wanted to keep going in the same manner. But yeah, in the end, I should have probably finished that one off as well,” he said to the broadcasters after the match.
Earlier in the evening, RCB’s bowlers set up the win by restricting LSG to 146. Rasikh Salam Dar starred with four wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up three, as the hosts kept the visitors in check throughout the innings.
Kohli also highlighted the nature of the surface, explaining how conditions influenced RCB’s aggressive approach in the powerplay.
“Yeah, it was slower than normal. If you saw, there was not enough grass on it. The last three to four days have been very, very hot, and it’s been very dry as well. So, we thought it was going to be a dry, slow wicket rather than one of those bare ones that are tacky when we play in Chinnaswamy. So, it was different, and hence the idea was to push the game away from the opposition in the first five to six overs. For those reasons, the powerplay batting was important, and hence I say that I was happy with my approach today. I was able to put the team in front early on.”
Reflecting on the evolving nature of T20 cricket, Kohli stressed the importance of adapting to situations.
“Well, it depends on the situation and the conditions as well for me. Not all games are going to be 230 or 240. We understand the game is moving forward pretty quickly and the demands of the modern game are different, but you always have to keep an eye on the situation, especially when players are under pressure,” he said.
“We’re still in the first half of the tournament. From the second half onwards, the games are going to get tighter, and players will be under more pressure. So when the freedom goes away, the pressure kicks in. That’s when the smarts of the game have to be applied as well, which I think will put teams in good stead,” he added.
Kohli is in top form in the ongoing season. He has scored 228 runs in five matches and is currently holding the Orange Cap.
-IANS
