Kill the game in the power play - Virat Kohli reveals advice to Venkatesh Iyer during innings break
When RCB came out to bat in the final of IPL 2026, the target that stared at them was a meagre 156, which looked chaseable. However, the thing with targets like these is that if one tends to take the game too deep, then complications happen and what should have been a cakewalk could also have been a disaster.
Ideally, powerplay is the time when batters tend to go ultra-fast in chases like these to get the majority of the runs and get hold of the run-rate. RCB was no different in Ahmedabad as Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer hunkered down to business right from the outset and what followed from there on was a regulation chase for the Royal Challengers. The two added 62 runs from just 27 balls, killing the chase even before Gujarat could get their big guns out.
Talking at the post-match presentation after winning the Player of the Match award in the summit clash, Kohli revealed his conversation with Venkatesh Iyer in the dressing room and how it impacted the start by RCB. He also had a very special message for the fans at the end of his presentation speech.
Reflecting on the conversations ahead of the opening partnership and the show between the two, Virat said, "Yeah, I mean, simple chat to Venky in the change room. And I just told him one thing, we need to kill the game in the power play. And he said, yeah, let’s go. So it was total clarity. There was no doubt at any stage when both of us were going. We just wanted to strike. We just wanted to take the bowlers on because we knew in a big game, if you lose a couple of wickets, things can get tricky."
He further added, "So never let the run rate go up to seven and a half, eight. And then we had small targets in mind. You know, when you get the score under those targets, then you can really go and play free cricket. So, yeah, credit to Venkatesh as well. He stepped in and did a beautiful job up top. And his intent was probably the difference maker for us in the last three or four games."
He concluded with a message for the RCB fans, stating, "I mean, I always say we don’t have seven home games. We probably have 14 because everywhere we go, we have fans cheering the team and, you know, really getting behind us. I mean, GT is probably the home side, but you see 90 percent of the guys are RCB fans. So that’s what we’ve earned over the years and we just continue to make them proud and try to put our best foot forward. And yeah, their support is priceless and really happy that they can celebrate us lifting the trophy tonight and witness that."
