For the second straight match in IPL 2026, Virat Kohli walked back to the pavilion without scoring—and the critics wasted no time piling on. But if you ask Royal Challengers Bangalore teammate Krunal Pandya, those golden ducks might just be the spark Kohli needs before the playoffs.

"I get excited when Virat Kohli fails," Pandya said after RCB's latest win. "Because I know what usually comes next."

Kohli's latest dismissal came in Raipur, where Deepak Chahar delivered a beauty—holding its line and bouncing just a touch more than expected. Kohli attempted to drive over mid-off, but Raj Bawa dived forward to complete a clean catch. A few days earlier, Prince Yadav had rattled his stumps for nought against Lucknow Super Giants.

Despite the back-to-back ducks, Kohli's season numbers tell a different story. Across 11 innings in IPL 2026, he has 379 runs at an average of 42.11 and a strike rate above 163, including three half-centuries. Those aren't the stats of a batter in crisis—but Kohli has always been held to a standard beyond averages.

The concern comes from his last three outings, where he has managed just 28 runs in total. In a tight playoff race, any dip invites scrutiny.

But here's the history that gives RCB fans hope: the last time Kohli recorded consecutive ducks, he responded with a flurry of centuries and fifties. Pandya is betting on that pattern repeating.

"When he fails across two games, it makes me more excited than anxious," Pandya said. "I've seen what happens next."

With the playoffs looming, all eyes will be on Kohli's next innings—and whether this brief slump becomes the setup for a vintage comeback.