Overview
- Sanjay Manjrekar told Sportstar that Virat Kohli has decided to bat quicker this season in response to scrutiny over batting too slowly, a view he acknowledged could rile Kohli’s fans.
- Manjrekar described the switch as a mental choice rather than a technical overhaul, crediting a conscious push to score faster from the start.
- Kohli has 351 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 162.50, keeping him in the race for the Orange Cap as one of the tournament’s leading run-scorers.
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru have surged with this approach and sit second on the table with only two losses, helped by quicker starts and greater belief in hitters down the order.
- Recent seasons show a clear arc in Kohli’s T20 tempo, from strike rates of 119.47 and 115.99 in 2021–22 to 154.69 in 2024, 144.71 in 2025, and a new high this year, highlighting how strike rate—runs per 100 balls—shapes impact in the short format.