‘I was excited when Virat Kohli failed’: Krunal Pandya thinks RCB icon is ready to make a strong comeback ahead of IPL 2026 playoffs originally appeared on Cricket News Click here to add Cricket News as your preferred source.
Key points:
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RCB star Krunal Pandya has backed Virat Kohli to bounce back after two consecutive games in the IPL.
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Kohli, who has scored 379 runs this season, scored only 28 runs in the last three innings.
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The last time Kohli had back-to-back ducks, he responded with a century and a fifty.
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Virat Kohli’s form in doubt after back-to-back defeats in IPL 2026
Virat Kohli returned to the pavilion without scoring in the second match of IPL 2026 and his critics once again went overboard with his criticism.
Deepak Chahar got his first ball in Raipur on Sunday. It was a superb delivery that held the line and bounced back a fraction more than Kohli expected. The batsman tried to rush through mid-on but failed to reach the desired height and Raj Bawa surged forward to take the catch cleanly.
More: What happened the last time Virat Kohli scored consecutive ducks? A look back at RCB stars’ Golden Duck wins in IPL 2026
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A few days ago, Prince Yadav was scoreless against Lucknow Supergiants, in which he faced just two deliveries before his stumps were shattered.
In 11 innings of IPL 2026, he amassed 379 runs at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate of over 163, including three half-centuries. These are not numbers for a batsman in crisis. But Kohli always held himself to above-average standards.
He’s totaled just 28 points in his past three games, a sequence that’s always going to be discussed in the playoffs.
More: ‘My big brother’: Krunal Pandya gets emotional about Kieron Pollard and Hardik era after RCB knocks MI out of IPL 2026
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What does Krunal Pandya have to say about Virat Kohli’s predicament?
Speaking after the match, Krunal Pandya answered questions about Kohli’s fall with confidence.
He said when Kohli failed in two games, it made him more excited than anxious because he knew from experience what would happen next.
“Virat Kohli is a championship player. When he loses two games, I get more excited because I know he will come back. We are never nervous for him. He is a different beast and he has a lot of hunger. From now on, I am sure Virat Kohli will do Virat Kohli things,” he said.
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More: Most-watched IPL teams in 2026: TV and digital viewership rankings
Cricket News Commentary: History backs Krunal’s confidence
Kohli last recorded back-to-back ducks in international cricket, in the ODI series against Australia in Perth and Adelaide in late 2025. What happened next was a series of extraordinary events.
He shot 74 in Sydney and then hit 135 off 143 against South Africa in Ranchi, followed by 102 off 93 in Raipur and an unbeaten 65 off 45 in Visakhapatnam. He scored 93 off 91 balls against New Zealand at Baroda.
History has shown time and again that Kohli’s lean spells tend to be short-lived and then something amazing happens. RCB’s concern is not whether he will bounce back, but whether he will bounce back. He almost certainly will, but with the playoffs so close, could the timing be in their favor. If this is indeed the case, there are only a few things in cricket that would be more noticeable.
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