Virat Kohli has revealed that he is still not at full fitness, despite playing a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

Kohli came in as an Impact Player for the first time in his IPL career and scored 49 off 34 balls, helping RCB chase down the target comfortably.

First Time as Impact Player

This match marked a rare moment in Kohli’s IPL journey. He was not part of RCB’s starting XI when they chose to bowl first. He had also missed time on the field during the previous match against Mumbai Indians.

Kohli explained that he had been dealing with a sore knee and was not feeling completely well in the days leading up to the game.

"Yeah, [I'm feeling] much, much better than the last game," Kohli said while receiving the Orange Cap, taking his tally to 228 runs in IPL 2026. "I'm still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I've been under the weather for four or five days now. So yeah, just getting back up to my best."

Fast Start Sets the Tone

Kohli gave RCB a strong start during the chase of 147. He raced to 34 runs off just 14 balls, putting immediate pressure on LSG.

However, he slowed down later as the pitch became more difficult for batting. Kohli said this was part of the plan, as the team aimed to make the most of the powerplay.

"I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Then again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off," Kohli said. "Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well, the pitch slowed down considerably, and I just wanted to probably keep going in the same manner, but yeah, in the end should have probably finished that one off as well."

Pitch Conditions Played a Role

Kohli pointed out that the weather in Bengaluru had a big impact on the pitch. The hot and dry conditions made the surface slower than usual at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

"Yeah, it was slower than normal," he said. "If you saw, there was not enough grass on it. The last three or four days have been very, very hot. It's been very dry as well, so we thought it's going to be a dry, slow wicket rather than one of those bare ones that are tacky, when we play in Chinnaswamy.

"So it was different, and hence the idea was to push the game away from the opposition and take the game away from them in the first five-six overs, and for those reasons the powerplay batting was important and hence I say that I was happy with my approach today. I was able to put the team in front early on."

Patidar Continues Strong Form

RCB captain Rajat Patidar continued his excellent run in the tournament. He smashed 27 runs off just 13 balls, including three sixes.

Kohli praised Patidar’s fearless mindset and clarity at the crease. Along with Rajasthan Royals’ young star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Patidar is among the few players this season with over 200 runs at a strike rate above 200.

"Well, you know, we have our KPIs as a batting unit, and it says 'Rajat to go in and assess the situation'," Kohli said with a laugh. "I always tell him, you're probably looking to assess the bowler's heart rate rather than the situation - like, where do these guys stand? I mean, it's incredible, you know, it's clarity."

RCB’s Batting Depth Adds Confidence

Kohli highlighted the strength of RCB’s batting line-up. He said the depth in the squad allows players to bat with freedom and confidence.

"The way our management has stacked up our team, it allows us to play in a certain way," he said. "I have to adapt my roles accordingly. It allows me to play a certain way up front with Salty [Phil Salt], so we pass on the baton pretty nicely in this team, and yeah, just the freedom of having Romario [Shepherd] and Tim [David], and KP [Krunal Pandya] hasn't even batted in any games yet.

"So we're sitting on a batting unit that's explosive, that's getting the job done, and yeah, it looks pretty intimidating if I was in the opposition as well, if you have Romario and Tim to walk in even after five down - these guys can get you 50 runs in four overs, so that's pretty handy to have and that's giving all of us a lot of freedom."

Importance of Game Awareness

Kohli also spoke about how the nature of T20 cricket is changing. While scoring rates are increasing, he believes smart decision-making is still very important.

"Well, it depends on the situation and the conditions as well," Kohli said. "As you know, not all games are going to be 230, 240, I think. We understand the game's moving forward pretty nicely, the demands of the modern game are pretty different, but you always have to keep an eye out on the situation and when people are under pressure."

He added that the second half of the tournament will be more challenging as pressure builds.

"We're still in the first half of the tournament; second half onwards, the games are going to get tighter, and people are going to be under pressure a lot more than now. When the freedom goes away, the pressure kicks in. That's when the smarts of the game have to be applied as well, which I think will put teams in good stead."

Kohli Focused on Improvement

Kohli admitted that he is still working on his game and fitness. He said he is constantly trying to improve and adapt to modern T20 demands.

"But yeah, the game's certainly changed. As I said, I'm trying my best. I think I've done okay so far in adapting. Early on, last two games, I haven't been at my best, but yeah, I'm always looking to push the bar."