Gujarat Titans assistant coach Vijay Dahiya walked into the press room after a Friday defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026, bracing himself for pointed questions about his side’s inability to defend a target of 205. Instead, the discussion quickly took a familiar turn: Virat Kohli’s batting, his evolution over the years, and the mentality that continues to drive him. Even Dahiya’s answers carried a sense of admiration, as he praised how the experienced batter approaches the game—regardless of where he is in his career.
GT’s 205 and the moment that swung the contest
The first line of questioning centered on how Gujarat viewed their total of 205. Dahiya felt the score was within reach to defend, but pointed to a key early slip in their fielding.
- He said that at the mid-innings break, the team believed 205 was a defendable number at that venue.
- Dahiya identified a decisive early error: a catch off Kohli was dropped in the opening stages of the chase.
- He explained that once Kohli survived that chance, he made the opposition pay, scoring 81 runs off just 44 balls.
- Dahiya stressed that while they had a chance against Kohli from the first ball, it was Kohli’s innings that ultimately changed the direction of the match.
Do veterans need to learn from youngsters?
With the conversation moving beyond the match, Dahiya was asked whether established players in the IPL need to take lessons from younger talents—specifically mentioning Sai Sudharsan—as the format evolves at a faster pace.
His response was emphatic: for Dahiya, senior players remain effective because they can adjust and because their experience gives them options under pressure. He placed Kohli at the center of that argument.
- Dahiya said experienced players “survive” in modern T20 because they know how to adapt and how to navigate situations.
- He cited Kohli as the clearest example of that adaptability.
- He added that Gujarat’s opponent-side also includes youngsters performing well, but framed the question as less about age and more about execution.
- In his view, every player has a role, and motivation comes internally rather than from trying to emulate someone else.
- He concluded that at this stage, a senior doesn’t need inspiration from a youngster—because motivation is already self-driven.
Kohli’s progression and the mindset behind the numbers
Dahiya was then asked to explain Kohli’s progression over the years, particularly how the batter’s approach and mindset have shifted. He revealed that Kohli was disappointed that his innings did not end with a century.
- Dahiya said the heart of Kohli’s impact lies in mindset—highlighting his energy and game awareness.
- He described Kohli’s awareness, energy, and willingness as standout qualities that consistently shape innings.
- Dahiya mentioned that after the match he spoke with Kohli, who expressed frustration at not converting the 81 into a hundred.
- He told Kohli that, given how consistently he performs, the batter should also view it from the other side—especially since he was dropped early but still made the surface look easy.
To further explain what makes Kohli’s innings different, Dahiya pointed to the way the batter forces bowlers to operate on his terms. He said Kohli pressures top-tier bowlers, not only domestic ones, and that his mindset separates him from many others. Dahiya also added that Kohli remains one of the best runners in the game.
“Not trying to prove anything” — Kohli at 37
In the final stretch of the interaction, Dahiya praised how Kohli continues to drive teammates to take quick singles and doubles, even at the age of 37. The assistant coach also underlined another dimension of Kohli’s mindset: the batter isn’t playing to silence critics or prove a point—he is playing to improve.
- Dahiya said Kohli keeps pushing younger teammates to look for twos, particularly on smaller ground areas.
- He called that readiness to perform remarkable and noted that while the word “zid” is often used negatively, Kohli’s stubbornness is directed toward doing well.
- Dahiya emphasized that despite the noise around him, he doesn’t see Kohli’s motivation as external.
- He added that Kohli has been around for a long time and isn’t playing to prove anything to anyone else.
- In Dahiya’s words, it is about “the man in the mirror”—a desire to be better than yesterday.
