Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) assistant coach Shane Watson hopes for an early, aggressive shot from Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stalwart Virat Kohli to cause a "rare error" during the IPL 2026 clash between two teams in Raipur on Wednesday (May 13).

While acknowledging the chance is "remote," Watson noted Kohli’s recent back-to-back ducks—including a mishit shot against Mumbai Indians—as a potential window for a breakthrough.

Despite two recent ducks, Kohli has scored 379 runs in 11 matches with an impressive strike rate of 163.36 this season. He has particularly been dominant against KKR, recording three half-centuries in their last four meetings.

Speaking during the pre-match press conference, Watson stated that while plans exist to target Kohli’s "perceived weaknesses," he is difficult to rattle.

“Every team is always going to have plans against Virat where you perceive there’s a weakness to be, but we all know, with King Kohli, he knows exactly how to better try and navigate that as well as possible," Watson told reporters.

“Yeah, we just hope that he tries to play a shot like he did in the last game, a more aggressive shot right at the start of his innings. We’ve got our fingers crossed that it might happen. Chances of that happening are remote, knowing Virat," he added.

Watson went on to lavish praise on Kohli’s "insatiable appetite" for success while admitting KKR are hoping for a "rare error" from the talismanic batter.

“But look, he’s something else. He always has been…… his insatiable appetite just to be the very, very, very best, every ball is engaged in the game that continues to burn so brightly for him. So we know we’ve got to be right on from ball one with Virat. Otherwise, he just sets a platform and a quick platform for his team so amazingly well, and he has over the years. So we have fingers crossed that we can start very well and hope that he might make a rare error and get us into the game a little bit," he remarked.