The Shahid Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur witnessed a vintage masterclass on Wednesday. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) secured a 6-goal victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In his 57th match IPL 2026the narrative focused entirely on one man: Virat Kohli. After a brief slump, he hit a record against consecutive Ducks Mumbai IndiansKohli silenced his critics with a breathtaking unbeaten 105, taking RCB to the top of the table with five balls to spare.
Krunal Pandya shares his reaction after Virat Kohli’s prediction came true in IPL 2026 clash with KKR
While the cricketing world lauded Kohli’s 60th century, one man was not entirely surprised. Krunal PandyaKohli’s RCB teammate took to Instagram immediately after the win to remind fans of his unwavering faith. Posting a celebratory picture of the duo joining hands to form ‘100’, Krunal’s caption was as succinct as he was confident: “I told you so.”
The post was a direct callback to the intense scrutiny Kohli faced just a week ago. After Kohli struggled in the previous games, Krunal definitely stood as the lone voice of reassurance. At that time, Krunal told the press:Virat Kohli is a champion player. I’m more excited when he’s down in two games because I know he’s going to come back. It is a different animal, it is very hungry. I’m sure Virat Kohli will do Virat Kohli things from now on.”
With a Man-of-the-Match performance under the Raipur lights, Kohli made Krunal’s ‘prediction’ a reality, proving that this form was temporary but his legendary hunger for runs remains permanent.
Also READ: IPL ft. Top 5 players with most matches in Virat Kohli history
RCB cruise past KKR for a comfortable win in IPL 2026
The match started with KKR setting a big target. led Ajinkya RahaneKnight Riders posted 192/4 in 20 overs. The foundation was laid by a steady 19 and an explosive 71 from Rahane Angkrish RaghuvanshiAnchoring the innings with 7 fours and 3 sixes. Rinku Singh provided the late-innings fireworks, smashing an unbeaten 49 off just 29 deliveries. Led RCB’s bowling efforts Bhuvneshwar KumarProving his worth by taking the wicket for 34 runs Josh Hazlewood and Hello Rasikh chopped with every keeper.
In reply, RCB’s chase was a masterclass in calculated aggression. Despite losing Jacob Bethell Before the age of 15, Kohli found a steady partner Devdutt PadikkalAn important contributor to 39 out of 27 balls. The pair put on a 92-run stand that effectively broke the back of the chase.
KKR Karthik Tyagi Padikkal was the pick of the bowlers and claimed 3/32 including wickets Tim David to stop the speed for a short time. However, Kohli remained unmoved. Reaching his century off just 58 balls, he finished the game at 194/4 in the 20th over. With this win, RCB cemented their No. 1 ranking, buoyed by a ‘reborn’ Kohli who continues to redefine longevity in the T20 format.
Also READ: Virat Kohli ft. Top 5 players with most centuries in IPL history
