Virat Kohli spills truth: ‘Risk of burnout always higher than being undercooked’

Bengaluru: Virat Kohli opened IPL 2026 with a statement innings and an even louder statement on player workload, declaring that modern scheduling makes burnout a bigger danger than being under-prepared. The 36-year-old’s unbeaten 38-ball 69 piloted Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket romp over Sunrisers Hyderabad at a packed M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Saturday night, as the hosts hunted down 202 in just 15.4 overs.

Kohli, now an India player only in 50-over cricket after stepping away from Tests and T20Is, said selective breaks have become essential. “The kind of scheduling over the last 15 years meant there was always a risk of getting burnt out rather than being undercooked,” he explained after collecting the Player-of-the-Match award. “These breaks help me mentally… as long as you’re physically fit and mentally excited, both things come together nicely, then you’re able to contribute to the team’s cause.”

The chase was anything but conventional. Early loss of Phil Salt for 8 could have stalled RCB, but Kohli found an audacious ally in impact substitute Devdutt Padikkal, who blasted 61 off 26 balls. Their 101-run second-wicket stand came at better than two runs a ball and left SRH’s attack gasping. “Outstanding knock,” Kohli said of Padikkal. “Right from the word go, I had plans of going aggressive in the powerplay. But when I saw him play, I was like, just keep putting him back on strike. He completely took the game away.”

Kohli’s own knock was a masterclass in controlled aggression: five fours and five sixes, including a straight hit that rattled the sight screen and a swivel flick that sped to the fine-leg boundary with minimal footwork. The innings also extended his love affair with the IPL opener; his last T20 appearance before tonight was last year’s final, yet a recent one-day run for India kept him sharp. “I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t usually play… these breaks help me mentally. I stay fresh, I stay excited. Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120%.”

Earlier, Sunrisers rode a blistering 80 off 38 balls from stand-in skipper Ishan Kishan to reach 201/9. Kishan’s innings featured eight fours and five sixes, but New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy, on IPL debut, scythed through the top order to finish with 3/22. Salt contributed in the field as well, diving to his right to latch onto a one-handed catch that ended Kishan’s assault.

RCB’s reply was swift and clinical. Kohli and Padikkal’s fireworks ensured the required rate never crept above nine, and when Padikkal finally holed out, the skipper simply shepherded the chase home with 26 balls to spare. “As a player, you don’t want to just hold on to a spot; you want to keep performing and keep putting in the work for the team,” Kohli said, underlining the collective ethos he believes powers title bids.

Off the field, the evening carried sombre undertones. RCB wore black armbands and left 11 seats empty—one for each fan who tragically died during last year’s title parade—while players and spectators observed a minute’s silence before the first ball. The victory, dedicated to those supporters, sets an upbeat tone for a franchise chasing a maiden IPL crown.

Kohli’s message was clear: freshness trumps frequency. In an era of non-stop cricket, the former India captain is betting that selective availability will keep him firing at full capacity for the games that matter most.