Virat Kohli's Playoff Struggles Continue Despite Strong Start

Kohli's Ongoing Playoff Challenges

Ahmedabad: Despite being the leading run-scorer in the IPL, Virat Kohli's difficulties in playoff matches persisted this year. In the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 against the Gujarat Titans, he fell short of a half-century by just seven runs, extending his wait for a fifty in an IPL playoff match to ten years.

Kohli began strongly against the Gujarat bowlers, scoring 43 runs off just 25 deliveries with an impressive strike rate of 172. However, his innings ended in the ninth over when he was bowled by Jason Holder. The last time he achieved a fifty in a playoff match was during the 2016 final against Sunrisers Hyderabad, where he scored 54 runs. His 43 runs in this match marked his highest playoff score since that game.

Analyzing Kohli's Playoff Performance

Kohli's playoff statistics reveal a concerning trend. Over his IPL career, he has participated in 17 playoff matches, accumulating a total of 396 runs. Remarkably, he has only crossed the fifty-run threshold on two occasions. His highest playoff score remains 70 not out against Chennai Super Kings in 2011, with his other fifty being the 54 runs against Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2016. Fans often express disappointment as the player who excels during the league stage struggles to replicate that success in high-stakes knockout matches.

While Kohli's performance was underwhelming, captain Rajat Patidar delivered an extraordinary innings, leading Bengaluru to their highest playoff score ever. Patidar scored an unbeaten 93 runs off just 33 balls, helping RCB reach a formidable total of 254. Alongside Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal contributed 30 runs off 18 balls, and Krunal Pandya added 43 runs from 28 balls.