Virat Kohli played a match-winning, unbeaten 69 against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first match of IPL 2026. After leading RCB to victory, King Kohli revealed the secret to his success.

Virat Kohli reveals the secret of his success after a blazing innings

India's star batsman Virat Kohli retired from T20 International cricket after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. He now plays exclusively in the IPL in the T20 format. King Kohli has also retired from the Test format, playing only in ODIs for India. However, on Saturday, he stunned everyone with his powerful innings against Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first match of IPL 2026.

Virat Kohli played a match-winning innings of 69 not out off just 38 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad. After RCB's victory, King Kohli said that the break helped him return refreshed. Batting first, Hyderabad scored 201 runs. In response, RCB won the match by scoring 203 runs in just 15.4 overs.

What did Virat Kohli say after leading RCB to victory?

Virat Kohli said after the match, "It feels good to be back here. The last match I played was the IPL final last year, but the way I batted in the recent ODI series helped me find my rhythm. I wasn't playing shots I normally wouldn't play. I know I'm in rhythm and I've worked hard on my fitness, so my performance will be good. We had a chance to get off to a good start, and that's what we did."

When asked about playing only one format, he said, "The kind of schedule we have had for the last 15 years and the amount of cricket we have played, for me the risk of fatigue from overplaying has been higher than from lack of preparation. So these breaks have helped me a lot in coming back refreshed. Whenever I come to play, I try to give 120 percent. I never come without preparation. The extra rest helped me in getting mentally refreshed. If you play while being physically and mentally refreshed, you can contribute to the team and that is what every player wants to do."