Virat Kohli’s cheeky stump-mic remark to Manish Pandey revealed a story as the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) defeated the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday (May 13) to reclaim top spot in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL) table with two matches left in the season. The 37-year-old was the star of the show as he scored a century as the defending champions chased a target of 193 with five balls to spare.
Coming into the game on the back of two ducks in a row, the former RCB captain made an unbeaten knock of 105 in just 60 balls. His innings included 11 boundaries and three sixes and came at a strike rate of 175.
Virat Kohli’s Revealing Stump-Mic Remark
Kohli’s chat with Pandey went viral on social media as the star Indian cricketer was heard telling the KKR veteran that he is now ready to play innovative shots, as he does not have to play for India anymore. While making the comment, the RCB star enacted the ramp shot.
‘Now toh maarunga main. Aaise Vale (makes a ramp shot gesture). Now we have to play a little for India. Now every shot will hit (Yes, I will hit now). Like these. Now, I don’t have to play for India. Now I will play every shot),’ said Kohli.
🚨VIRAT KOHLI IN STUMP MIC TO PADDIKAL 🚨🎙️ – "Now we have to play a bit for India, now every shot will be hit."??? pic.twitter.com/6UH7Ey5bD2
— Sam (@Cricsam01) May 14, 2026
What Did Virat Kohli Mean?
While Kohli has retired from T20I and Test cricket, he remains an active player for India and has been in red-hot form in recent times with three centuries and three fifties in the last nine outings. He is set to be the backbone of the Indian batting unit in the 2027 Cricket World Cup.
However, one can assume that Kohli was referring to the fact that he does not have to play Test cricket again. In the 2023 season after his century against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), the RCB star mentioned how, with Test cricket coming up, he had to stay true to his technique.
“I’ve never been a guy who plays so many fancy shots – was having a chat with Aiden as well. We have to play 12 months of the year. For me, it’s not about playing fancy shots and throwing my wicket away. We’ve got Test cricket (coming up) after the IPL, have to stay true to my technique. When I can make an impact in an important game, it gives me confidence, it gives the team confidence,” said Kohli in a post-match chat.
The remark had come at a time when the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final between India and Australia was just a week after the IPL season finished.
For those unversed, he retired from red-ball cricket in May last year after playing 123 test matches for India. Since then, there has been a visible change in Kohli’s batting style with a massive increase in strike rate not just in the IPL but also in ODI cricket.
In the 2026 IPL, he is the third-highest run-getter with 484 runs in 11 matches at an average of 53.77 and a strike-rate of 165.75.
