‘I’m not a guy who hits 40-50 sixes in a season’: Virat Kohli candidly embraces T20 after RCB’s IPL win

After helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru retain the IPL title, Virat Kohli spoke about the changes in his batting, the demands of modern T20 cricket and the lessons he hopes young Indian cricketers can learn from his journey. He urged the incoming players to understand match situations and adapt their game accordingly.Kohli, who played an important role in RCB’s title-winning campaign and contributed another strong season with the bat, said his focus was always on improving and finding ways to help the team.“The fact that I keep playing and competing, I want to keep improving and finding areas in my game where I can make a difference and help the team score. That’s what I’ve always focused on,” Kohli said in a video shared by IPL.The former India captain said that young players should focus on understanding the game rather than relying solely on power plays. According to him, players must be prepared to bat in different ways depending on the conditions and match situation.“It’s about understanding game situations. The preparation has to be such that you can play in 3-4 different ways. If the pitch is hard, you should be able to hit boundaries and not just sixes. Even if that’s not possible, you should be able to spin, hit and stay in the game,” he said.Kohli added that the work done outside the matches is what helps the players find solutions on the field. He said he tries to convey the same message whenever younger cricketers approach him for advice.“For that, you have to do the work behind the scenes when you are not competing. That is probably the procedure to follow when you want to make an impact on the field. Hopefully, whoever comes to talk to me, I can convey the same message clearly. Keep the standard of Indian cricket high,” he mentioned.The 37-year-old said versatility is important in modern cricket and players should always react to the demands of the situation.“I try to prepare a versatile game and I try to implement it as best as possible in every situation I play. That’s the one thing I urge the youngsters to understand. Play according to the situation and the demands of the game. If you stay with the situation of the game, you will always be able to find a solution.”Kohli also acknowledged how T20 cricket has changed over the years and said the players have to keep adapting.“The game changes pretty quickly. It’s just an opportunity for me to look at areas where I can improve. The explosive side of the game was something that needs to be taken care of these days.”He explained that while he may not be among the biggest six-hitters, he has worked to maximize his strengths.“I’m not a guy who hits 40-50 sixes a season, but I can hit 70-80 fours. I’ve really worked on that aspect of my game. I’m going to hit the strikes I can hit more often and take the pitchers. It’s always been my goal to be as consistent and impactful as possible. It’s good to know that when I play longer the last two seasons, our strikeout rate is 10%.” Clarity, and also that if I keep coming back in the game long enough, our chances of winning will increase significantly. Of course it’s a great feeling,” he said.With RCB’s title defense in mind, Kohli said the team entered the final against Gujarat Titans with confidence after finishing on top of the points table and securing a direct spot in the final.“We came into the game today not feeling the same as last year. We were so relaxed, so confident in our skills and we knew if we played to our potential we were the best team in the competition.”“And the league stage was proof of that. We finished top of the league table and ended up getting to the finals before everyone else. And yes, just a very professional, very mature performance from the whole team throughout the season. And yes, we just had no doubts today,” Kohli said.