Comfort, laughter and pure emotion were written all over it Virat Kohli‘s face on Tuesday night Royal Challengers Bengaluru star has finally finished the short skinny patch IPL 2026. During a high-pressure encounter against RCB Kolkata Knight Riders At the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Kohli avoided an unwanted hat-trick of ducks and celebrated the moment in trademark animated style.
Virat Kohli celebrates after falling off the mark in Raipur
After hitting back-to-back ducks coming into the contest, Kohli’s first run of the evening instantly became one of the most talked about moments of the match. The veteran batter punched the air, laughed to himself and acknowledged the deafening applause of the crowd, who clearly understood the moment’s significance. The celebration quickly went viral on social media, with fans enjoying the lighter and fitter side of the usually intense RCB icon.
It should be noted that despite enjoying an excellent campaign overall, Kohli entered the game under unusual scrutiny. Prior to the KKR match, the former RCB captain had amassed 379 runs in 11 matches and remained one of Bengaluru’s most reliable batsmen throughout the tournament.
The 37-year-old also scored nine consecutive double-figure scores earlier in the season and was instrumental in RCB’s strong run in IPL 2026. However, the unpredictable nature of cricket caught up with him in the last two outings. After the clash against Lucknow Super Giants, Kohli suffered back-to-back ducks and faced just three deliveries in those innings. Such a streak is extremely rare for a batter known for his consistency and mental strength, which has naturally led to increased chatter around his form.
We present the video:
The King is off the mark and fans can finally relax a bit. 😉#TATAIPL 2026 Race to the Playoffs ➡️ #RCBvKKR | LIVE NOW 👉https://t.co/9SHVzm41aO pic.twitter.com/xMUaVlNOuY
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 13, 2026
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An aggressive start helps Kohli regain confidence
Against KKR, Kohli looked determined to silence the chatter quickly. Chasing the difficult target of 193 with the young key Jacob BethellKohli looked more composed from the start. RCB attacked positively during the powerplay, with the big batsman showing better intent and sharper footwork than his previous outings.
But more than the boundaries or the strike spin, it was Kohli’s reaction after his first run that caught the attention of the fans. The moment reflected both comfort and self-awareness. Kohli laughed immediately after completing the run, almost admitting how strange the previous two dismissals were for a player of his stature.
Interestingly, this was not the first time Kohli had reacted emotionally after ending his short duck streak. Earlier this year, during India’s ODI tour of Australia, he produced a very similar celebration when he finally got the mark after two scoreless outings.
Besides ending his poor run, the evening marked another historic milestone in Kohli’s illustrious T20 career. The RCB stalwart played his 279th game in the tournament, becoming the most capped player in IPL history. With that, he took the lead MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharmapreviously they shared the record with 278 matches each.
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