India, March 30 -- The iconic Virat Kohli believes stepping away from the game at regular intervals has helped him stay mentally fresh and avoid burnout as he started the 2026 season by carving out his 28th IPL half-century.

Kohli's 38-ball 69, studded with five sixes and as many fours, powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a comfortable six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL season opener on Saturday.

Playing his first T20 since last season's IPL final, Kohli showed little sign of rust, underlining how stepping away at regular intervals has helped him sustain peak performance despite a packed international schedule over the years.

Addressing concerns about being underprepared after a 10-month gap from the format, Kohli sa...