3 min readMar 18, 2026 06:12 PM IST
As Virat Kohli gears up for his first Indian Premier League (IPL) season while featuring only as a one-format India cricketer, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter could face a fresh challenge to find his rhythm, reckoned former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan.
Kohli dropped a bombshell Test retirement announcement mid-way through the IPL 2025 season in May last year before shining during RCB’s triumphant run soon after. Kohli topped the batting charts for RCB in the season, aggregating 657 runs in 15 innings with eight fifties. However, with his playing time limited Kohli would find it tricky to find his aggressive suits, said Pathan.
“This time, things will be a little different for Kohli. For the first time, he will play the IPL having completely retired from Test cricket. He is playing only one format. It is not easy for anyone. But he has scored and his performance has been brilliant. Even when he comes after a break, it has not been difficult for him in one-day cricket. In T20s, when you play the aggressor and come in not having played a lot, it will be challenging. But he has faced many challenges before as well. I am very excited to see how he will go forward this season,” Pathan remarked on his YouTube channel.
Despite prolonged periods away from the game last season, Kohli roared back to thunderous form in ODI cricket, smashing three hundreds in his last seven innings since October 2025. Pathan also recalled how Kohli’s transformation from an anchor to aggressor at the top of the order was pivotal in shaping RCB’s maiden IPL triumph last year.
“Virat Kohli and RCB is an identity that goes together. He started with RCB and is still playing for them. He has delivered brilliant performances. It was also a golden period in his career when he captained the team, there were a lot of brilliant performances. When they won last season, his strike rate also went up. He did not play anchor but took the role of an aggressor. It was a very big factor. They will expect even this time that he keeps up the same form,” Pathan stated.
Kohli last featured in the ODI series against New Zealand, returning impressive scores of 93, 23, and 124 even as India went down fighting 1-2 in the series.
