In their previous match against Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore got off to a blazing start with Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal scoring quick runs. However, former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar pointed out that Kohli slowed down after crossing the 40-run mark and played cautiously. Commenting on the match, Manjrekar highlighted the notable decrease in Kohli's strike rate and his inability to maintain the same momentum after scoring his first 40 runs.

Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Manjrekar expressed his surprise and admitted that Kohli was batting differently from his usual style. Kohli started his innings with a strike rate of 153.84, scoring 40 off 26 balls, but his next 13 runs came off 15 balls with a slower strike rate of 86.66. In total, Kohli scored 53 runs off 41 balls with six fours and one six.

Manjrekar attributed the lower strike rate to Kohli's recent decisions regarding his T20 captaincy and questioned whether he was too focused on getting to his half-century. He also suggested that RCB should consider acquiring Kieron Pollard as the team's new captain in the upcoming mega-auction, as Pollard has experience leading teams in IPL and CPL. Manjrekar dismissed the idea of giving AB de Villiers the captaincy due to his uncertain future with RCB.

RCB has struggled in the second leg of IPL 2021, losing both of their matches so far. They were bowled out for 92 runs in their first match against Kolkata Knight Riders and scored 156 runs in their second match against Chennai Super Kings, which proved to be insufficient. Kohli announced that this would be his last season as captain, but he will continue playing as a batsman. As the mega-auction approaches, all teams will be looking to reshape their lineups, and RCB will have to make significant decisions regarding their leadership.