Virat Kohli Discusses T20 Evolution and Lessons for Young Cricketers

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 upcoming 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 has always been on improving and finding ways to help the team. "The fact that I continue to play and compete, I want to keep improving and find areas in my game where I can make a difference and help the team score. That's always been my focus,” Kohli said in a video shared by the IPL. The former India captain said young players should focus on understanding the game rather than relying only on power-hitting. According to him, players must be prepared to bat in different ways depending on the conditions and match situation. “It's about understanding situations in the game. The preparation has to be such that you can play in 3-4 different ways. If the pitch gets tough, you should be able to hit boundaries and not just sixes. Even if that's not possible, you should be able to rotate, strike and stay in the game,” he said. Kohli added that the work done away from matches is what helps players find solutions on the field. He said he tries to pass on the same message whenever younger cricketers approach him for advice. “For that, you need to do the work behind the scenes when you're not competing. That's probably the process to go about things when you want to make an impact on the field. Hopefully, whoever comes to have a chat with me, I can convey the same message with clarity. Keep the standard of Indian cricket high,” he mentioned. The 37-year-old said versatility is important in modern cricket and players should always respond to the demands of the situation. “I try to prepare a well-rounded game and try to implement that as best as I can in every situation that I play. That's the only 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're always going to be able to find solutions.” Kohli also acknowledged how T20 cricket has changed over the years and said players must continue adapting. “The game is changing pretty rapidly. Just an opportunity for me to look at areas where I can get better. The explosive side of the game was something that needs to be taken care of nowadays.” He explained that while he may not be among the biggest six-hitters, he has worked on maximising his strengths. “I'm not a guy who will hit 40-50 sixes in a season, but I can hit 70-80 fours. I really worked on that aspect of my game. I'm going to hit the shots I can hit more often and take the bowlers on. That's always been my goal to be as consistent and impactful as possible. Feels good to know that when I play longer in the game, our success rate is 100% for the last two seasons. That gives me clarity as well that if I back for long enough in the game, our chances of winning improve significantly. Of course, it's a great feeling,” he said. Reflecting on RCB’s title defence, Kohli said the team entered the final against Gujarat Titans with confidence after finishing on top of the points table and securing a direct place in the final. “We came to the game today, didn't feel the same as last year. We were so relaxed, so confident of our skill sets and we just knew if we play to our potential, we are the best team in the comp. “And the league stage was a proof of that. We finished top of the league table and ended up getting to the finals before everyone else. And yeah, just very professional, very mature performance from the whole team throughout the season. And yeah, we just didn't have any doubts coming in today,” Kohli expressed.