RCB vs KKR, IPL 2026: Kohli masterclass helps Royal Challengers Bengaluru inch closer to Playoffs

A wristy flick past mid-on on his second ball, and all the qualms about Virat Kohli’s lack of runs vanished into thin air. 

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran, who was dismissed for nought in each of the last two encounters, stamped his class at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday. His calculated unbeaten 105 helped the side chase down Kolkata Knight Riders’ 193-run target with five balls to spare. 

The chase began with fluency despite the early dismissal of Jacob Bethell, who was caught and bowled after pulling a shot into his helmet. Kohli’s positive start at the other end rubbed off on Devdutt Padikkal, who started with two consecutive boundaries. The Knight Riders did not help their case with two dropped catches. Kohli’s fierce slap through cover burst through the fingers of Rovman Powell, while Vaibhav Arora was guilty of dropping a dolly at deep square against the Karnataka batter. 

ALSO READ: PBKS vs MI, IPL 2026: Desperate Punjab Kings looks for turnaround against Mumbai Indians

The duo’s 92-run association ended when the southpaw carved one straight to skipper Ajinkya Rahane at cover. But the break in momentum made no difference to Kohli, who pressed on the accelerator to get his ninth IPL century and seal RCB’s eighth win. 

Earlier, after being asked to bat first on a pitch that was under covers for a considerable period, KKR openers Rahane and Finn Allen fell after brisk starts. Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed the latter with a length ball that cramped him for room and forced an edge to the wicketkeeper. Rahane was undone by a Josh Hazlewood bouncer that skidded through. 

Angkrish Raghuvanshi managed to keep the runs flowing with boundaries through the legside as Cameron Green settled in. The acceleration came after the introduction of the lone spinner, Krunal Pandya, as the duo collected two towering sixes over midwicket. Green was castled by Rasikh Dar soon after the completion of the 50-run partnership.

Raghuvanshi looked largely untroubled at the other end en route to a 32-ball half-century, his fourth of the season. The Mumbai batter’s sporadic hits to the fence, combined with Rinku Singh’s proactive knock, ensured KKR got to a respectable total, but it proved too low in front of a marauding Kohli.  

Published on May 14, 2026