IPL 2026: ‘I don't like seeing collapses, but bloody well done,’ says Kohli in dressing room speech after RCB’s win
New Delhi, April 16 : Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran Virat Kohli praised the team’s clinical and aggressive approach following their win over Lucknow Super Giants, and also highlighted areas for improvement, noting that he doesn’t ‘like seeing collapses.’
Addressing the side in the dressing room after the victory on Wednesday, Kohli underlined how RCB made a conscious effort to stay ahead of the game despite an early setback, referring to the dismissal of opener Phil Salt.
“Guys, another good win for us, I won't keep it long at all. I think we were quite professional with the back, conscious effort to try and take the game away from the opposition early on. After we lost Salty, the idea was to press back counter-attack and not give them a sniff in the game and we ended up doing that,” Kohli said in a video shared by the franchise on Wednesday.
Kohli reflected on RCB’s broader batting template this season, one built on counter-attacking cricket rather than consolidation, even in pressure phases. He specifically pointed to the seamless transfer of momentum between batters, a defining feature of their campaign.
“Again, the handover of momentum from one guy to the other is something that's working really nicely for us. When Rajat came in, of course, he recovered again and played some amazing shots. In small periods of pressure, we chose the right shots, put the pressure right back on the opposition and we just stay ahead of the game at all times,” he said.
Skipper Rajat Patidar’s positive intent ensured that RCB did not allow LSG to regain control at any stage. Despite the comfortable win, the former RCB skipper also pointed out areas for improvement, particularly the middle-order collapse that briefly interrupted the chase.
“From a personal perspective and also from a batting group perspective, I think I would have liked to see us finish with two or three down. I don't like seeing collapses, but bloody well done and good to see Sheppy (Romario Shepherd) finally get some time with the back and finish the game off. KP (Krunal Pandya) is the only one left now, so everyone gets some game time and then we'll probably see a celebration next time. Well done, very professional, we'll keep moving ahead,” Kohli said.
Addressing the side in the dressing room after the victory on Wednesday, Kohli underlined how RCB made a conscious effort to stay ahead of the game despite an early setback, referring to the dismissal of opener Phil Salt.
“Guys, another good win for us, I won't keep it long at all. I think we were quite professional with the back, conscious effort to try and take the game away from the opposition early on. After we lost Salty, the idea was to press back counter-attack and not give them a sniff in the game and we ended up doing that,” Kohli said in a video shared by the franchise on Wednesday.
Kohli reflected on RCB’s broader batting template this season, one built on counter-attacking cricket rather than consolidation, even in pressure phases. He specifically pointed to the seamless transfer of momentum between batters, a defining feature of their campaign.
“Again, the handover of momentum from one guy to the other is something that's working really nicely for us. When Rajat came in, of course, he recovered again and played some amazing shots. In small periods of pressure, we chose the right shots, put the pressure right back on the opposition and we just stay ahead of the game at all times,” he said.
Skipper Rajat Patidar’s positive intent ensured that RCB did not allow LSG to regain control at any stage. Despite the comfortable win, the former RCB skipper also pointed out areas for improvement, particularly the middle-order collapse that briefly interrupted the chase.
“From a personal perspective and also from a batting group perspective, I think I would have liked to see us finish with two or three down. I don't like seeing collapses, but bloody well done and good to see Sheppy (Romario Shepherd) finally get some time with the back and finish the game off. KP (Krunal Pandya) is the only one left now, so everyone gets some game time and then we'll probably see a celebration next time. Well done, very professional, we'll keep moving ahead,” Kohli said.
