Sanjay Manjrekar advised RCB's greatest batter, Virat Kohli, to stick to his highly aggressive approach in the knockouts of this season of the IPL and not overburden himself during big match moments.
After their defeat to the Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru still held onto their top spot in the points table, despite ending with 18 points. Gujarat Titans also managed to win 9 matches and are second on the points table with the same number of points.
RCB vs GT: Head-to-Head clash in 2026 ahead of Qualifier 1
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru and the Gujarat Titans have both made their way into the playoffs and have topped the table in 2026. RCB and GT have both competed neck-and-neck in the season and have shared one win apiece before heading into the knockouts.
The first time these two teams met in Chinnaswamy, Virat Kohli played a very dominating hand and chased down an easy score. On the other hand, the Titans crushed them during a second match at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
While the Royal Challengers have not had a promising run with two losses in their last five matches of the season, the Titans have managed to win four matches in their last five games of the season. Hence, the clash between the two teams is likely to be a high-intensity battle.
Sanjay Manjrekar advises Virat Kohli to continue with his aggressive streak
As the Royal Challengers Bengaluru clash against the Gujarat Titans for the first qualifier of the season in IPL 2026, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar provided the RCB star Virat Kohli with invaluable advice.
His advice suggested Virat stick to his attacking approach, which is a new addition alongside his remarkable consistency in this season of the IPL. He believed that RCB's success in the season was a part of the balanced team approach rather than their reliance on an individual cricketer.
"The approach of RCB must remain the same. Virat Kohli is a key player, but everything does not hinge on him; that is how they have become such a good team," he said. Manjrekar pointed out that Kohli tends to overcompensate and take additional responsibility in high-pressure situations.
"It is important for Virat to keep playing in the same fashion, because he has a tendency in the final stages to take too much of the onus on himself, and if he does that, that is dangerous territory for RCB to be in. So, I think they should keep the same template," Sanjay Manjrekar told Sportstar.
Virat Kohli leads the pack; Top-scoring batters for RCB in IPL 2026
The Royal Challengers Bengaluru batters have played a commanding role for their side in IPL 2026. Virat Kohli, the 37-year-old legendary star, has once again been the star for the defending champions.
Kohli has amassed 557 runs across 14 matches with a promising strike rate of 163.82 in the season, with one century and four half-centuries. On the other hand, Devdutt Padikkal has amassed 433 runs and is the second-highest run-getter for them, followed by skipper Rajat Patidar, who has amassed 393 runs after 13 appearances.
Tim David is the fourth-highest run-getter in the season and has amassed 277 runs across 13 innings, and Phil Salt, despite having played just six matches, has amassed 202 runs.
