Virat Kohli took on a new role for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their win against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. For the first time in his Indian Premier League (IPL) career, Kohli served as an Impact substitute, playing only the second half of the game as RCB were chasing the target of 147 runs. Kohli scored 49 runs during the game.
Kohli suffered an ankle injury during the win against Mumbai Indians (MI) in Mumbai and did not start for the Bengaluru team in the second half. The RCB star mentioned that he was not fully fit and was unwell for the past few days. Now the question arises: will Kohli continue as an Impact substitute for RCB in their upcoming match against Delhi Capitals (DC)?
In the pre-match press conference, Josh Hazlewood confirmed that Kohli would indeed start against DC, but expressed uncertainty about the extent of his contribution on the field.
Hazlewood stated that RCB would love to have Kohli on the field, highlighting his energy and ability in the field. “He’s definitely going to play, it’s just how much he can contribute in the field. He brings a lot of energy and is one of our best players in the field so we’d love to have him full out there. Knowing him, he’s not one to sit back, he’s always looking to get involved and make an impact,” Hazlewood said.
“You learn a lot when you’re laid off after an injury”
Hazlewood missed the opening matches for RCB due to injury but returned during the loss against Rajasthan Royals (RR). Although he didn’t perform well in that match, he bounced back quickly and produced a man-of-the-match performance against LSG, conceding just 20 runs and taking one wicket in his four overs.
Hazlewood commented on the learning experiences during discharge from injury and emphasized the importance of respecting the recovery process. “It was really pleasing to be back and contributing again. You learn a lot from time away with injury, especially respecting the recovery process. We were focused on coming back fully fit and performing at this level,” Hazlewood said.
RCB will be looking to secure their fifth win of the campaign when they face DC in Bengaluru.
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Published on:
17 Apr 2026 18:51 IST
