Former Indian International cricketer Irfan Pathan highlighted how the dynamic will change with Virat Kohli now aiming solely on ODIs. Irfan Pathan declared that the IPL 2026 season is going to be slightly different for Virat Kohli, who has now retired from Tests and T20Is and is aiming solely on ODIs. Midway through the IPL 2025, Kohli announced his Test retirement and has since been playing in ODIs. His presence has sparked excitement around ODIs despite stepping away from other formats, and he has shown no signs of slowing down, scoring centuries against South Africa and New Zealand. When he returns in RCB colours once again this season of IPL, the buzz will be around him.
With eight fifties in the tally,he stood out as most consistent performer of RCB and ended up among the top three run-scorers in the competition as he scored 657 runs in 15 innings with an average of 54.75 and striking at 144.71. He ended up among the top three run-scorers in the competition.
Also Read : https://sportslila.com/ipl-2026-ahead-of-ipl-2026-mumbai-indians-coach-mahela-jayawardene-clarifies-role-of-rohit-sharma-i-want-to-keep-him-more/
Speaking on Irfan Pathan’s YouTube channel, Pathan highlighted how the dynamic will change with Kohli now focusing solely on ODIs. He reflected on the challenges Kohli might face returning to T20 cricket after a break, while also praising his consistent performance in ODI.
“This time, things will little different for Kohli. For the first time, he will play the IPL having completely retired from Test cricket. He is playing only one format. It is not easy for anyone. But he has scored and his performance has been brilliant. Even when he comes after a break, it has not been difficult for him in one-day cricket. In T20s, when you play the aggressor and come in not having played a lot, it will be challenging. But he has faced many challenges before as well. I am very excited to see how he will go forward this season,” Irfan Pathan remarked on his YouTube channel.
“Virat Kohli and RCB is an identity”
Pathan stated “Virat Kohli and RCB is an identity that goes together. He started with RCB and is still playing for them. He has delivered brilliant performances. It was also a golden period in his career when he captained the team, there were a lot of brilliant performances. When they won last season, his strike rate also went up. He did not play anchor but took the role of an aggressor. It was a very big factor. They will expect even this time that he keeps up the same form,”
