Virat Kohli Goes Ballistic Before IPL 2026, Strikes At 236 In RCB’s Practice Match

Virat Kohli in action before IPL 2026 [Source: AFP]

In an ever-evolving landscape of T20 cricket, Virat Kohli has often been questioned for his strike rate in the format. The debate has only intensified over the past couple of IPL seasons, particularly as the game has tilted further toward high-tempo batting and relentless acceleration.

Kohli now seems intent on answering those doubts emphatically as the RCB franchise heads into IPL 2026. If early signs are anything to go by, the modern-day batting great has already begun recalibrating his approach.

Virat Kohli bombards RCB’s practice match with sizzling cameo

Virat Kohli finished the IPL 2025 season last year at third on the run-scoring charts with over 600 runs. However, his strike rate of 144.71 marked the lowest among the top 20 run-getters of the tournament. While such a strike rate was far from underwhelming in isolation, it appeared comparatively subdued in a season where aggregating over 200-run totals became a norm.

Also Read- RCB Issue Official Statement On Josh Hazlewood’s Future For IPL 2026

In any case, Kohli seems to be on a path to rectify that narrative, as the legendary Indian batter recently struck a thunderous 45-run knock in an intra-squad RCB match. Batting at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday, March 25, the senior batter faced just 19 deliveries in his innings, thus maintaining a staggering strike rate of over 236.

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@coach_dk19

VIRAT 2.0 LOADING...👀 • 29(12) in 1st Practice game • 45(19) in 2nd Practice game This is a statement. A different mindset, a dangerous version. IPL ain’t ready for what’s coming…❤️‍🔥👑 #RCB #IPL2026 #PlayBold

Mar 25, 2026, 6:21 PM

It is worth noting that the champion cricketer also belted 29 off just 12 balls in RCB’s first intra-squad practice match as he continues to fine-tune his aggressive approach ahead of the IPL 2026 season.

Breakdown of Virat Kohli’s strike rate in IPL

Virat Kohli continues to remain the most prolific run-scorer of the IPL by a landslide. The cricketer also holds an astonishing career strike rate of 132.85, marginally higher than that of fellow seasoned pro Rohit Sharma (132.09).

However, Kohli has often lagged behind in terms of keeping up with the game’s evolving tempo. Here is a breakdown of his IPL strike rates from the last five editions of the tournament.

Tim David, Shepherd join Virat Kohli in batting blitz

Apart from Virat Kohli, his RCB teammates Tim David and Romario Shepherd also slapped electrifying knocks in the intra-squad practice match. While David blasted 68 runs off just 32 balls, Shepherd smeared 37 from 14 deliveries as the two explosive middle-order batters went berserk at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

@RCBTweets

When you're bowling to our 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴……. well, we don’t have to finish this sentence for you. 🔥🔥 Tim David: 6️⃣8️⃣ (32) 🦁 Romario Shepherd: 3️⃣7️⃣ (14) 🦏 Our boys were in the groove during the 2️⃣nd Intra-Squad Practice Game, and DK shares his thoughts on their impact

Mar 25, 2026, 8:05 PM

RCB to face SRH in IPL 2026 opener

As per the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule unveiled by the BCCI earlier this month, defending champions RCB will be taking on SRH in the opening match of the tournament. The match will be hosted by the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday, March 28 later this weekend.

Rajat Patidar and co. will subsequently host CSK at the same venue, before flying to Guwahati and Mumbai to face Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians respectively over the next one week.

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