Kohli’s Playoff Record Raises Questions Ahead Of RCB Vs Gujarat Qualifier

Royal Challengers Bangalore, (RCB) and Gujarat Titans are set to meet in Qualifier 1 of IPL 2026 in Dharamshala. And well, it matters a lot because the team that wins just goes straight into the final. So naturally, everyone ’s attention is heavily on Virat Kohli, even if people keep saying “it’s about the whole side” … you know how it is.

Kohli’s Form in the Current Season

Kohli’s form this season has been pretty solid. So far he has featured in 14 innings. In those, he ’s piled up runs at an average of 50.63, nothing slow about it. His strike rate stands at 163.82 too, which basically tells you he is scoring at a fast tempo.

Now, RCB did lose their last league match, against Sunrisers Hyderabad. But in that game Kohli could manage only 15 runs, not exactly the kind of knock you want heading into the playoffs. Still, despite that little wobble, RCB finished the league stage at the top of the points table, so it wasn’t all doom or anything.

Concerns Around Kohli’s Playoff Performance

• That said, one worry for RCB is Kohli’s playoff record. In the pressure matches, his output hasn’t always matched the usual high standards everyone expects from him.
• In total, he has played 17 playoff matches. From those appearances, Kohli has scored 396 runs. His average sits at 26.40 and the strike rate is 121.10, so the gears seem to shift a bit. Also, he has registered two half-centuries in those games.
• His best playoff score is 70 not out, that knock came versus Chennai in Qualifier 1 back in 2011. Not a small moment then.
• But there are also a few rough patches. He has been dismissed for single digits five times, and there’s even one occasion where he got out for zero. In five other innings he has scored less than 30 runs, which is the part that keeps fans checking the mood.
• In the previous season, his playoff showing was a mixed bag. He made only 12 runs in the first Qualifier against Punjab. Yet, after that, he bounced back in the final, with 43 runs off 35 balls.

Sehwag’s View on the Match

Former India batter Virender Sehwag also shared his opinion on the contest between RCB and Gujarat, like he is basically looking at the whole thing from the ground.

He said Gujarat’s bowling attack looks stronger compared to RCB’s bowling unit, and honestly it seems pretty clear. He also pointed out that RCB lost their last league match because their key bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood, did not take wickets.  

Sehwag suggested that RCB should move past that performance. He warned that if similar bowling issues continue in the playoffs then RCB could face a very high target, possibly above 250 runs.  

He added that RCB’s bowlers must perform well, if the team wants to win this match.