Sanjay Manjrekar has said that Royal Challengers Bengaluru must avoid the danger of becoming overly dependent on Virat Kohli during the IPL 2026 playoffs. On Tuesday, May 26, RCB will take on Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, in Qualifier 1 at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
Kohli has enjoyed a sensational season for RCB, scoring 557 runs from 14 matches at an average of 50.63. He also boasts an outstanding record against the Titans, having amassed 460 runs from eight matches at an average of 76.66.
Manjrekar warned that if Kohli tries to shoulder too much responsibility during the playoffs, it could push RCB into dangerous territory.
“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,” Manjrekar said in a Sportstar podcast.
“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,” Manjrekar added.
Despite being one of the IPL’s greatest batters, Kohli has struggled to dominate in the playoffs. In 17 innings, he has scored 396 runs at an average of 26.4 and a strike rate of 121.1, with only two half-centuries and a highest score of 70 not out.
