Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Virat Kohli has finally cracked the code of modern T20 batting, pointing to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star’s outstanding IPL 2026 campaign as proof of his remarkable evolution. Kohli played a pivotal role in RCB’s successful title defence, capping off the season with an unbeaten match-winning 75 against the Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final.

The veteran batter’s performance in the summit clash perfectly reflected the transformation in his T20 approach. Kohli reached his half-century in just 25 deliveries—the fastest fifty of his 19-year IPL career—before finishing unbeaten on 75 off 42 balls. Across the season, he accumulated 675 runs in 16 matches at an impressive average of 56.25 and a career-best IPL strike rate of 165.84.

Speaking on Instagram, Sanjay Manjrekar praised Kohli for adapting to the demands of modern T20 cricket without compromising the consistency that has defined his career. “At this stage, watching him in this tournament, he has mastered the art of T20 batting that is needed in IPL cricket,” Manjrekar said. “Which means now he knows that he has to score at a 150 to 160 strike rate. So he cashes in the first six overs.”

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The former India batter explained that Kohli’s success comes from finding the perfect balance between controlled aggression and calculated risk-taking rather than trying to overpower every delivery.

“The most important thing is that he has found this power game, which is just about optimum,” Sanjay Manjrekar added. “It’s almost like he is in third and fourth gear, while the others are trying to hit at a strike rate of 200 and 230.”

According to Manjrekar, Kohli’s approach minimizes unnecessary risks while maximizing scoring opportunities. Instead of relying heavily on six-hitting, the RCB star continues to dominate through timing, placement, and intelligent shot selection. His numbers support that theory, with Kohli striking 73 boundaries compared to 25 sixes during the season. “When hitting boundaries, Kohli is still big on fours rather than sixes as he does in white-ball international cricket,” SanjajyManjrekar observed.

The former commentator also believes Kohli’s current batting template is sustainable and could prolong his success in franchise cricket.

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“Having mastered the art of T20 batting, I don’t see it quickly fading away from Kohli,” he said. “He will keep working on his fitness, and he has found this template to be consistent and go with the modern times of strike rate. This form of Virat Kohli will be there for a while, and thereby, RCB will be very fortunate and, in a way, very deserving as well.”