The Shahid Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur witnessed a masterclass in modern T20 batting on Wednesday. In his 57th match IPL 2026legendary Virat Kohli silenced critics and ruled Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a clinical six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). With this win, RCB officially climbed to the top of the IPL table and signaled their dominance at the business end of the tournament.
Virat Kohli explains his calm reaction to his century against KKR
While the cricketing world was abuzz when Kohli hit his record-breaking ninth IPL century, the man himself remained remarkably healthy. At 37, Kohli proved that age is just a number and scored an unbeaten 105 off just 60 balls. However, his silent celebration raised eyebrows given his historically fiery personality.
Addressing the broadcaster after being adjudged Player of the Match, Kohli admitted to feeling the weight of recent setbacks. After enduring back-to-back ducks in his previous two outings, the veteran opener admitted to a rare discomfort.
“Not getting many runs in the last two games is eating away at me. I know I shoot the ball well, but when I don’t make an impact for the team, it worries you.“, Kohli said.
Explaining his stand-up reaction to the milestone, his first IPL ton since 2024, Kohli emphasized that the team’s position is his main focus.
“The celebration was not big because we know the importance of moments. It is a conscious effort to contribute more,” noted. He further noted that “pressure is privilege,” said nervousness fueled his focus instead of hindering it.By avoiding extravagant risks and supporting his ability to find natural gaps, Kohli mounted a seemingly elusive chase.
Also WATCH: Manish Pandey takes a gravity-defying catch to dismiss Tim David during the RCB vs KKR clash
RCB cruise past KKR to an easy win in IPL 2026
Despite a competitive total of 192/4 posted by KKR, the Bengaluru outfit chased it down with five balls to spare to finish at 194/4. In the evening, KKR’s innings was built on 71 to 46 balls. Angkrish Raghuvanshi and late-inning flourishes Rinku SinghUnbeaten on 49 off 29 deliveries. RCB bowling spearheads, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh HazlewoodManaged to keep the scoring rate in check during the powerplay, though KKR found momentum in the middle overs. Cameron Green (32).
But the pursuit was, for the most part, a one-man show. while Jacob Bethell (15) and Rajat Patidar (11) fell cheap, Devdutt Padikkal provided a steady hand with a vital 39 off 27 balls. Their second-wicket partnership of 92 effectively broke the back of the chase.
Karthik Tyagi He was the pick of the bowlers for KKR, claiming 3 for 32, but failed to match Kohli’s accuracy. Kohli reached 50 in 32 balls and accelerated to 100 in 58 balls, punctuating his innings with 11 fours and 3 powerful sixes. 8 runs required in the final, Jitesh Sharma (8*) kept calm with Kohli to seal victory in 19.1 overs. This win not only cements RCB’s playoff credentials but also surpasses Kohli MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma For the most runs in IPL history (279), it marked a historic night for the king of Indian cricket.
Also READ: IPL 2026: Fans go wild as RCB beat KKR courtesy Virat Kohli’s stunning century.
