Gujarat Titans assistant coach Vijay Dahiya praised Virat Kohli after RCB’s five-wicket win in IPL 2026, saying the veteran batter’s intensity, awareness and mindset continue to separate him from the rest. Dahiya made it clear that Kohli’s impact is not just about technique or shot-making, but about the way he controls a chase and sets the tone for everyone around him.
Speaking after the match, Vijay Dahiya said Kohli’s energy stood out from the very first ball. He also revealed that even after playing a match-winning knock, the RCB star was not fully satisfied and felt he could have converted it into a century.
“I think it’s amazing. If you look at his energy, his awareness and his willingness,” Vijay Dahiya said. “After the game, he was disappointed, saying he could have converted this to a 100.”
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According to Vijay Dahiya, that reaction is exactly what makes Kohli special. The former RCB captain holds himself to extremely high standards and rarely settles for a good innings when he believes he can do more. Dahiya also felt Kohli made a difficult wicket look much easier than it actually was, simply because of the way he managed the chase.
“Kohli made the surface look easy. It wasn’t an easy sort of wicket,” he said. “When you’re commanding the situation, you make the bowler bowl where you want.”
Dahiya further praised Kohli’s ability to keep opposition bowlers under pressure, calling it one of the defining features of his game. He added that Kohli’s hunger and mindset continue to inspire even the younger players in the opposition camp.
“That willingness to do well, his mindset sets him apart from a lot of other people,” Vijay Dahiya said. He also highlighted Kohli’s fitness and running between the wickets, saying the senior batter still leads by example in every phase of the game. “He’s still one of the best runners, pushing youngsters to take two,” he added.
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Dhaiya summed up Kohli’s approach as one driven by self-improvement rather than outside pressure, saying the batter is constantly focused on being better than he was yesterday.
