Synopsis: Virat Kohli’s masterful, unbeaten 105 off 60 balls leads RCB to a six-wicket win over KKR in Raipur.
Virat Kohli came into Wednesday’s game under a bit of pressure after getting out for ducks in his previous two innings. So when he finally got off the mark off Saurabh Dubey’s last ball of the opening over against KKR in Raipur, the reaction said plenty – Kohli punched the air with a fist pump that showed how much it meant.
Chasing 193 in Raipur, RCB needed Kohli to steady the innings and take the chase deep, something he has done countless times over the years.
After a quiet start, the 37-year-old quickly settled into his rhythm. He flicked Vaibhav Arora through midwicket, punched another boundary square on the off side and then pulled Kartik Tyagi over deep fine leg for six as RCB kept up with the asking rate.
Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru raises his bat after scoring a fifty during Match 57. (Photo by Sumeet Parmar / CREIMAS for IPL)
There was very little panic in his batting. Kohli rotated strike regularly against Sunil Narine and waited patiently for loose deliveries from the seamers. Most of his runs came through timing and placement rather than risky shots.
His half-century came off 32 balls in the 10th over when he pulled Cameron Green through the leg side for a couple. Little did KKR know then that Kohli was only getting started.
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From there, Kohli shifted gears beautifully. He picked gaps regularly against Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy before taking apart Vaibhav Arora and Kartik Tyagi at the death. There was elegance and authority in equal measure; a wristy whip over deep midwicket off Tyagi for six, a clean loft straight down the ground off Roy and several trademark punches through the off side.
Unlike his measured start, the second half of the innings carried far more intent. Yet, Kohli never looked rushed. He stayed in control, kept finding boundaries at the right moments and steadily moved towards another landmark.
His ninth IPL century came off 58 balls in the 19th over when he drove Arora calmly to long-off for a single. There was no wild celebration, only a raise of the bat and applause from the RCB dugout after a vintage Kohli knock.
Raghuvanshi impresses
A day before KKR faced RCB, Shane Watson had spoken warmly about Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s talent, saying the youngster reminded him of a teenage Sanju Samson.
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On Wednesday night, the 21-year-old showed exactly why the former Australia all-rounder rated him so highly.
Walking in during the third over after Finn Allen’s early dismissal, Raghuvanshi found himself in a difficult situation almost immediately when captain Ajinkya Rahane fell soon after as well. KKR suddenly needed someone to steady the innings, and the youngster responded with a calm, mature knock that became the backbone of their 192-run total.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi of Kolkata Knight Riders plays a shot during Match 57 of the TATA Indian Premier League 2026. (Photo by Faheem Hussain / CREIMAS for IPL)
His 71 off 46 balls was not filled with reckless hitting. Instead, it was built on timing, balance and an ability to adapt quickly to different bowlers and conditions.
Raghuvanshi absorbed the early movement against the seamers before gradually opening up his strokeplay. Alongside Cameron Green, he stitched together a crucial 68-run stand for the third wicket that helped KKR recover after the early setbacks.
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He got going by pulling Jacob Duffy over deep midwicket for six before settling into a rhythm against the rest of the RCB attack.
He looked equally comfortable against spin. He swept Krunal Pandya for a towering six over deep square leg and later produced one of the shots of the evening by making room and lofting the left-arm spinner beautifully over extra cover for another maximum.
His fourth half-century of IPL 2026 came off just 32 balls, and even after Green departed, he adjusted his role smartly during a 76-run partnership with Rinku Singh, allowing the senior batter to attack harder at the death.
Brief Scores: Kolkata Knight Riders 192/4 in 20 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 71, Rinku Singh 49) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 194/4 in 19.1 overs (Virat Kohli 105 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 39) by six wickets.
