Royal Challengers Bengaluru suffered a nine-run defeat against Lucknow Super Giants via the DLS method in their Indian Premier League 2026 match at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Thursday. The match saw a pivotal moment when Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck by LSG pacer Prince Yadav.
Kohli's Dismissal and Reaction
Prince Yadav delivered a 140.4 kmph inswinging ball that breached Kohli's defence and knocked over the off stump. Kohli, visibly surprised, stared at the pitch where the ball had landed, prompting discussions about his mindset.
Manjrekar's Analysis
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar shared his insights on Kohli's reaction, drawing a parallel with Sachin Tendulkar. In a video on Instagram, Manjrekar said, "Virat Kohli getting clean bowled by Prince Yadav gives great insight into a champion batter's mind. It was the same with Tendulkar as well. It's not so much about how he got out. Look at Virat's reaction when he gets out. He looks down at the pitch, as if something untoward has happened. As if the pitch had played some trick on him."
Manjrekar added, "Tendulkar as well, towards the end of his career, would look down at the pitch and think that the ball had kept low and that something wrong had happened there. What's happening here is that the moment there is a little setback, they aren't immediately looking within or being self-critical. They are looking at other reasons apart from themselves for what has happened."
Trait of Great Batters
According to Manjrekar, this reaction is a hallmark of elite batters. He explained, "That, interestingly, is a trait of a great batter. Because they have had such tremendous success over the years, their self-confidence is very high. So when they have a moment like this, the self-confidence doesn't dip quickly. Lesser mortals, when something like this happens, see their self-confidence get shattered. Great batters will instinctively find another reason for getting out because their faith in their own ability is so high. That is one reason why great batters are great, as opposed to lesser mortals who lose their confidence easily."
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