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IPL 2026: “Not a natural six-hitter but…” Kaif highlights Kohli's evolution after RCB win

Cricket Gully | April 25, 2026 5:39 PM CST

Royal Challengers Bengaluru registered a commanding win against Gujarat Titans, and once again, it was Virat Kohli who proved why he's still the greatest batter in the business. He was excellent during the chase, scoring 81 and even crossing 300 sixes in the IPL.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif hailed Kohli's achievement, stating it reflects his development as a T20 batsman. Speaking on X, Kaif wrote

"Virat Kohli taking his IPL 6s tally to 303 is an incredible achievement. Imagine Gayle has 360 and Rohit 310. Kohli isn't a natural six-hitter but he worked on his game to meet the demand of the modern game. His greatness is his adaptability and showing courage to come out of his comfort zone."

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Strong partnership sets up chase

Chasing a mammoth 206, RCB had a fantastic start in the form of Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal. Padikkal's seamless knock of 55 and Kohli's quick-fire 81 combined for a stand of 115 runs and the former batter's heroics did ease the burden significantly. RCB ended the match in 18.5 overs with 5 wickets in hand.

Kohli showered praise on his partner, saying:

"This is the second time Dev has come and done this. You never see him slogging the ball yet he's playing so freely. His innings was the difference in the first half and then I was trying to stay in the game so he won't feel the pressure. Dev was going great guns and the idea was to keep the pressure on the bowlers. There was intent, clarity and feedback from the other and we didn't have any doubts in the partnership and that's what worked for us."

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Batting depth helps RCB

Kohli also discussed his team's batting prowess:

"We have a tremendous batting lineup. If you look at the talent on display, we have guys who can play good cricket shots, you have the power of Tim David and Shepherd and then you have the smarts of Krunal. So the message is simple - you see a ball to hit go for it because you have the depth."

He continued:

"Firstly, we were quite happy we were able to play five games here and the fans get to see the team again. Special place to play cricket and hopefully we'll be able to come back and play here again later in the season."

Earlier, Sai Sudharsan registered a brilliant century to steer Gujarat Titans to 205/3 but the hosts failed to press the accelerator in the final overs which in turn helped RCB comfortably chase the target down.