Harsha Bhogle Unnecessarily Questioning Virat Kohli’s Strike-Rate Doesn’t Sit Well With RCB Fans

Despite facing criticism, Virat Kohli has excelled in IPL 2026, amassing 228 runs in five matches with an average over 50 and a strike-rate of 158.33.

Harsha Bhogle Unnecessarily Questioning Virat Kohli’s Strike-Rate Doesn’t Sit Well With RCB Fans

Harsha Bhogle criticized Virat Kohli for his strike-rate during match against MI. (via News 18)

In Short
  • Harsha Bhogle questioned Virat Kohli's strike-rate after his 50 off 38 balls in a recent IPL match.
  • Fans criticized Bhogle for labeling Kohli as merely an 'anchor' in the RCB lineup.
  • Simon Doull defended Kohli, stating his performance against MI was an anomaly and not reflective of his overall game.

Nothing has been discussed more often in the IPL than Virat Kohli’s strike-rate, most recently after the RCB icon’s 37-ball fifty against MI. Seasoned cricket analyst Harsha Bhogle publicly questioned if Kohli’s role should be limited to simply acting as an ‘anchor’ for the side.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru played Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium in a high-scoring thriller. Batting first, the defending champions raced to 240/4, with Phil Salt top-scoring with 78 runs off 36 balls. Skipper Rajat Patidar scored a quick-fire 53 runs off 20, while Tim David contributed with 34 runs. MI were never in the chase, as they fell short by 18 runs to finish at 222/5, despite Sherfane Rutherford’s fighting 71 run-knock off 31 balls.

While Kohli found himself among the run-scorers, he hit a somewhat subdued 50 runs off 38 balls. The veteran Indian batter’s display was sluggish, as he struggled to find big hits until his dismissal in the 15th over.

Kohli scored runs at a strike rate of just 131.58, while others around him got runs at a rate well over 200. It was later disclosed that Kohli was dealing with an injury while batting, as a result of which he also abstained from fielding.

His unusually slow innings prompted veteran analyst Harsha Bhogle to make a bold assessment about Kohli’s role in the RCB side. Drawing a parallel to the West Indies’ iconic T20 lineup from the early 2010s, Bhogle suggested that Kohli’s function is, in fact, similar to that of Marlon Samuels. Samuels would often ‘anchor’ the Windies’ innings to ensure scoring consistency and prevent a batting collapse. He said on Cricbuzz:

The key guy in the West Indies team was Marlon Samuels. There were big-hitters, and Samuels was the glue throughout.. I wonder if they look at Virat [Kohli] like that. They [RCB] have got these big strike-rate players all around. Just a thought.

Bhogle suggested that Kohli provides a ‘glue-like’ function, maintaining momentum among big hitters like Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, and Romario Shepherd, all of whom have a significantly higher strike rate.

Bhogle was, however, countered by former New Zealand international Simon Doull, who suggested that the 37-year-old is way more than just a mere ‘anchor’. Doull pointed out that his innings against MI was an ‘anomaly’, and that Kohli has adapted well to the modern T20 game.

Doull advised Bhogle to take Kohli’s innings against MI out of regard, given the right-hander has been an aggressor for RCB over the past two years. Virat Kohli was, in fact, the franchise’s top run-getter during their historic 2025 campaign, with 657 runs in 15 matches at a strike-rate of 144.71. 

Harsha Bhogle’s strike-rate claim on Virat Kohli irks fans, asked to ‘leave him alone’

Fans and social media users had an irksome response to noted Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle’s claim about Virat Kohli’s strike rate. Bhogle, following the legendary IPL batter’s slow half-century, had suggested that Kohli can only play as an ‘anchor’.

Virat Kohli critics
Fans slammed Harsha Bhogle for criticizing Virat Kohli. (via X)

Bhogle, on Crizbuzz’s post-match show, had questioned whether Kohli’s strike-rate of 131 was sufficient on a flat Wankhede surface, and even claimed that it put unnecessary pressure on RCB’s middle-order. Fans of the veteran Indian cricketer were, however, quick to hit back at him, accusing critics like Bhogle and Aakash Chopra of having an ‘agenda’ against Kohli and unfairly targeting him. 

Some other fans praised Simon Doull, suggesting that had he not spoken against Bhogle’s strike-rate claims, the latter would have proved that Kohli has been an ‘anchor’ all along. Fans even pointed to Harsha Bhogle’s perceived ‘hypocrisy’, suggesting that the commentator only talks about Kohli’s strike-rate, and not about Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rishabh Pant, Heinrich Klaasen, who have struggled as well. 

Only a few days ago, the 64-year-old had also been slammed by Gujarat Titans director Vikram Solanki. After Bhogle had jokingly complimented Solanki on his youthful look, the former England cricketer responded by urging him to restrict his questions strictly to cricket.

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