Dale Steyn, Ian Bishop Get Candid on Virat Kohli’s Greatness After GT Masterclass

Besides Virat Kohli, contributions from Devdutt Padikkal (55) and Krunal Pandya (23) propelled RCB to a decisive victory over GT.

Dale Steyn, Ian Bishop Get Candid on Virat Kohli’s Greatness After GT Masterclass

Dale Steyn and Ian Bishop lauded Virat Kohli his masterclass chase during RCB vs. GT. (via NDTV Sports)

In Short
  • Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a five-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans, scoring 81 runs off 44 balls.
  • Dale Steyn praised Kohli as a "genius" and the best player he has known for his ability to adapt and strategize during matches.
  • Kohli became the first player in IPL history to hit 800 fours and reached 300 sixes, solidifying his status as the all-time highest run-getter in the league.

Fans and former players were profoundly impressed by Virat Kohli‘s ‘chase-master’ performance during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans. Discussing the 37-year-old’s display, Dale Steyn called him a “genius” in a conversation with Ian Bishop.

RCB secured its fifth win of IPL 2026, triumphing over GT in their final match at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Batting first, the visitors up a first innings total of 205/3, courtesy Sai Sudharsan’s magnificent 100 off 58 balls, and contributions from Shubman Gill (32 off 24), Jos Buttler (25 off 16), and Jason Holder (23 off 10). Although 206 was not a huge target at the Chinnaswamy, it was still significant.

The Royal Challengers, however, made the chase look surprisingly easy, with Virat Kohli hitting 81 runs off 44 balls. His innings, which included 8 fours and 4 sixes and came at a strike rate of 184.09, however, might not have gone off had Washington Sundar not dropped him at mid-wicket in the very first over of the chase. From there on, the veteran right-hander did not offer a second chance for the GT bowlers.

With the ‘Chase-Master’ at his absolute best against Gujarat, his former RCB teammate, Dale Steyn, pointed to how Virat Kohli always tries to look and get better. The South African bowling great went on in praise of Kohli, exclaiming that the latter is the ‘best’ player he has ever known, and is highly skilled at adapting to match conditions and strategically calculating the game from the very start of his innings. Steyn said on ESPNCricinfo:

He’s [Virat Kohli] always looking to try and get better… Probably one of the best players that I’ve ever known that reads the situation and calculates how the game needs to be panned out from the first ball that he’s faced.

Steyn declared that Kohli’s ability to consistently map out the path to a chase makes him the ‘best’ batter in the second innings. Virat Kohli‘s evolution is evident from his strike-rate, as he has transformed from an anchor, scoring at 120-130, to an aggressive hitter, with a rate of 150+.

Ian Bishop, in conversation with Steyn, lauded Kohli for being able to keep developing his game despite being in the mid-30s. The West Indies great added that he admires him as a batter, having found a role for himself in modern-day T20s.

I love Kohli the batter. But the evolution of those numbers for a guy who is in his mid-30s now, he continues to evolve in a game that has gone high-tempo, he’s been able to do this and find a role for himself in such a position.

The knock helped the 37-year-old among the top five in the IPL 2026 Orange Cap standings, with 328 runs in seven matches at an average of 54.67, including three half-centuries. Kohli will next be seen in action when the defending champions take on the Delhi Capitals on April 27. 

The first to 800: Virat Kohli reaches new IPL boundary landmark

Virat Kohli’s name is synonymous with records, with the veteran right-hander already being the IPL’s all-time highest run-getter. Most recently, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru stalwart etched his name in history books with a landmark boundary milestone. 

Virat Kohli new IPL record
Virat Kohli is now the only player to score over 800 fours in the IPL. (via MSN)

Kohli’s 81-run knock against the Gujarat Titans included 8 fours, which helped him become the first player in the history of the IPL to hit 800 career boundaries. The 37-year-old finished the game with 807 career boundaries, extending his lead over second-placed Shikhar Dhawan (768). Furthermore, he also became the third player to reach 300 sixes in the IPL, after Chris Gayle (357 sixes) and Rohit Sharma (310). 

The former Team India skipper, Kohli, is the first player to hit both 800 fours and 300 sixes for a single franchise, RCB. Overall, his tally in the IPL stands at an unbelievable 8,989 runs in 274 matches at an average of 39.95 and a strike-rate of 133.76, including 8 centuries and 66 half-centuries. 11 more runs, and Kohli will end up becoming the first player in the tournament’s history to score 9,000 runs. 

Kohli stands sixth on the list of run-scorers in the format. The Delhi-born batter has scored a grand total of 13,571 runs in the shortest format of the game, at an average of 42.16 and a strike-rate of 135.23, including nine centuries and 108 half-centuries. 

Read More: