Former Pakistan cricketers Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal believe Virat Kohli is the driving force behind Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) sharp shift from a batting-led side to a more balanced, all-round unit. With RCB sitting unbeaten in IPL 2026 after winning both of their opening matches, the duo highlighted how the franchise’s cricketing structure and on-field roles appear to have evolved significantly since last season.
RCB’s evolution praised by Basit Ali and Kamran Akmal
- Basit Ali said RCB no longer rely heavily on their batters, pointing to the quality of the bowling resources available to the team this season.
- He explained that his earlier impression—around four or five years ago—was that RCB’s bowling strength looked insufficient, but that perception has changed due to better impact from the bowling group and a strengthened overall balance.
- Basit named Jacob Duffy and Krunal Pandya as examples of players he feels have made a noticeable difference to RCB’s performances.
- He credited Kohli as the “mastermind” shaping the side’s direction on the ground, adding that while the captaincy name may be Rajat Patidar, Kohli’s influence is visible in how the team executes its plans.
- Basit also singled out Tim David, describing his hitting style as “book cricket” — clean, direct, and consistently productive in the form of fours and sixes.
- In the same discussion, Kamran Akmal offered praise to RCB’s leadership group, specifically highlighting head coach Andy Flower and mentor Dinesh Karthik for the planning work happening behind the scenes.
- Akmal said he had been watching some of their videos and felt their preparation had begun roughly 1–2 months earlier, focused on identifying what the team needed to do in the present phase.
- Akmal expressed surprise that Mumbai Indians released Tim David, adding that he hopes RCB will retain the batter for the long run rather than lose him after a short stint.
- He further argued that RCB are starting to look like a complete side, praising the depth of their batting line-up and saying the batting order has so much variety that even the “next turns” in the order feel packed with threat.
- Akmal said earlier editions of the team sometimes accepted compromises in the bowling department, but insisted that the current group has ended that trade-off and looks like a different outfit altogether.
- He complimented Kohli’s aggressive approach, noting that Kohli appears to have become even more forceful this season, and that each year he seems to set himself up with the mindset required for modern T20 cricket.
- Akmal concluded by saying he expects other teams to struggle to defeat RCB, underlining Kohli’s hunger, intent, and the way his approach shapes how the side plays.
