Kohli’s ability to sum up the conditions straight away is second to none, says Finch

Virat Kohli scored his first century of IPL 2026.

New Delhi: Former Australia captain Aaron Finch believes Virat Kohli’s ability to read match situations and adapt instantly to conditions is unmatched and credited that as a defining factor behind his unbeaten ton against Kolkata Knight Riders that helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru clinch a commanding six-wicket win.

Kohli struck an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls to guide RCB to the top of the points table and reclaim the top spot on the IPL 2026 points table.

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The innings, decorated with 11 fours and three sixes, came at a strike-rate of 175 and marked Kohli’s ninth IPL century.

Finch said Kohli’s early start in the innings was crucial, especially considering the pressure that comes with lean scores for a top-order batter. “It would have been important for him just to get off the mark. Nobody wants to get three ducks in a row. Some of those shots were absolutely class. His ability to sum up the conditions straight away is second to none. The way he got into his work so quickly and was able to get his innings underway with no risk was great,” Finch told JioStar.

Kohli began aggressively after a cautious opening over, punishing loose deliveries from Vaibhav Arora and quickly settling into rhythm despite tricky conditions following a rain delay.

Finch felt Kohli’s ability to assess surfaces early remains one of the defining strengths of his batting. “That’s the dream as a player at the top of the order. We always know that if you allow him to have a look at a wicket for some time, he will be successful. When he’s playing at his absolute best, you feel as though he’s swinging the bat at 50 per cent. He just finds the middle, and he’s got that gift of timing,” he said.

The former Australian skipper also pointed to Kohli’s effortless control during the chase, particularly his knack for finding boundaries whenever the asking rate threatened to rise, saying, “It was a wonderful knock. Any time he needed to find the boundary, he did.” Finch also turned his attention to Thursday’s clash involving Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians, warning the former against complacency despite MI being out of the qualification race. “MI and RCB, two tough games for Punjab. Regardless of where Mumbai Indians are on the ladder, you know they’re coming hard at you. They’ve got nothing to lose. They’ve got everything to gain by contributing to knocking out a team, and that’s what you play for when you get down to this part of the season, when you can’t qualify yourself,” Finch stated.

Finch admitted he has enjoyed Punjab’s fearless style this season but stressed that their fielding standards could ultimately determine how far they progress in the tournament. “But I hope Punjab do, because I like the way they go about it. Just start catching well, please! You are costing yourself so many opportunities. Cricket’s hard. It is brutal at the best of times, and you can’t give the best players in the world chances over and over to beat you,” he added.