Watch: Virat Kohli's shocking 'India k liye thodi na khelna' claim to Devdutt Padikkal in RCB vs KKR IPL 2026 goes viral

During the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Virat Kohli’s shocking claim of ‘India k liye thodi na khelna’ went viral on social media platforms.

Kohli was the biggest difference between the two sides with the bat as Bengaluru completed the 193-run chase with five balls to spare, thanks to the right-handed batter’s blistering knock of an unbeaten 105 runs off 60 deliveries at a strike rate of 175, with the help of three sixes and 11 boundaries.

What did Kohli actually say — and what does ‘India k liye thodi na khelna’ really mean?

Bengaluru lost their first wicket in the form of Jacob Bethell during the fourth over of the innings as Devdutt Padikkal joined Kohli in the middle. The left-handed batter smashed two successive boundaries against Kartik Tyagi to release the instant pressure.

Watch Kohli’s viral claim here:

That was when Kohli’s claim went viral on social media. The former Indian captain was telling ‘India k liye thodi na khelna hai, abh to har shot lagega’ and tried to show batting a reverse scoop shot.

See Also: Watch: Virat Kohli couldn't believe it — Fan breaks onto the field and bows at his feet during RCB vs KKR IPL 2026

When the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star used to feature for the Indian side across all formats, he hardly tried any funky shots. In most of the presentation ceremonies, he has claimed that going back to the longest format, he would always need to work on his technique, which has been a reason for his stance.

But since taking retirements from both the T20Is and Tests, the Delhi-born has focused on bringing a new angle to his T20 cricket. He has started to be aggressive from the very first ball of the innings and put pressure on the opposition bowler. There is no lack of intent from his end these days. Since 2023, he has the best strike rate of 154.92 inside the powerplay (1-6 overs) of the IPL. 

See Also: Watch: Virat Kohli smashes a breathtaking 58-ball century at Raipur to set RCB win vs KKR in IPL 2026

During his ninth century of the IPL, Kohli completed 14000 runs in the shortest format, which was another milestone in a proud book of records. In the ongoing season, he is currently the third leading run-getter with 484 runs in 12 innings at an average of 53.77 and a strike rate of 165.75, thanks to three half-centuries and one century.

Fans explode over Kohli’s viral one-liner to Padikkal

The fans reacted differently to the viral one-liner of Kohli to Padikkal during the RCB vs KKR clash in the IPL 2026 in Raipur-