Virat Kohli has experienced a lull in IPL 2026 with back-to-back ducks for RCB.
Sanjay Manjrekar has spoken about whether Virat Kohli shows aggression only for the cameras and shared his views on the same. This comes after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) moved to the top of the IPL 2026 points table with a close win over the Mumbai Indians.
Virat Kohli was having a very good time with the bat in IPL 2026, with 379 runs in 9 games, with 3 fifties. However, he has scored ducks in his last two games, but that hasn’t dampened his aggression. Kohli was seen celebrating wildly after RCB defeated MI by 2 wickets in Raipur.
Even within the game's inner sanctum, it is a topic of ongoing discussion among aficionados. The sheer consistency of his intensity—celebrating a routine wicket in an IPL match with the same primal shout as a World Cup victory—even though millions appreciate his unbridled zeal.
However, Manjrekar has dismantled the cynicism that often clouds Kohli’s on-field persona. The former Indian batter stated that Kohli’s aggression is not fake, and it is the fire that has been burning inside him since his U19 days.
"A lot of people, even players, believe that he does it for the camera. I beg to differ, because this is a guy I’ve seen even at the Under-19 level. This is how he plays the game, and that is what has driven him, even as a batter. When he gets angry with the opposition, he plays better,” Manjrekar stated on Sportstar’s Insight Edge Podcast.
"I thought, at this age, he would calm down a little bit. But I’m seeing him take catches, pull off run-outs, and just have too much energy," Manjrekar said.
The slogan "we don't listen to the outside noise" has been embodied by Kohli throughout his career. Manjrekar's own experiences point to a more precarious reality.
"He's one of those first guys who kept saying, you know, we don't care about what people say... so he's also very sensitive [to criticism]. Maybe it's a good thing as well that if he hears that kind of criticism or something negative, that will just spur him on to get that next big hundred,” Manjrekar added.
Manjrekar also reflected on the fiery leader era, noting how Kohli’s personality became the blueprint for the Indian team.
"I've always believed that the team wears the look of the captain. Under Virat Kohli, every player had to be like Virat Kohli. If anyone went out there and looked a little flat, they would not be playing the next test match. So everybody responded to Virat's aggression," he said.
Kohli will be raring to go when RCB take on Kolkata Knight Riders in their 12th match of the season in Raipur on Wednesday, May 12.