‘Virat situation will be slightly different’, Kohli warns ahead of IPL 2026

New Delhi: Former India all-rounder Irrfan Pathan Kohli believes Kohli’s shift to fewer formats could affect his T20 rhythm, especially after the break.“This time things will be different for Kohli. He will play for the first time intense pulsed light Quit Test cricket altogether. He only plays one format. It’s not easy for anyone,” Pathan said in a video on his YouTube channel.

“But he has scored goals and his performance has been outstanding. Even if he comes back after the break, it will not be difficult for him in one-day cricket.”Virat Kohli has joined Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of IPL 2026, but this season might be slightly different for him. Expectations are high as Kohli has now retired from Test cricket and is playing only limited-overs matches, but experts feel the shift could bring new challenges in T20 cricket.“In T20S, when you play as an aggressor and don’t get a lot of minutes, it will be challenging. But he has faced a lot of challenges before. I am excited to see how he will move forward this season,” he added.Pathan also highlighted how Kohli’s change in batting style last season played a major role in RCB’s success. Instead of dominating the innings, Kohli played a more attacking role, which helped the team win the title.“Virat Kohli and RCB are inseparable. He started with RCB and is still playing for them. He performed brilliantly. When he was captain, it was also the prime period of his career with many wonderful performances,” he pointed out.“When they won last season, his shooting percentage also went up. He didn’t play the main role, but played the role of an attacker. That was a very big factor. Even this time, they will expect him to maintain the same form.”