Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on Virat Kohli after the Royal Challengers Bengaluru superstar answered his recent critics in style with a brilliant unbeaten century against the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. Gavaskar said the knock was a powerful reminder that class, temperament and experience still matter in modern T20 cricket.
Kohli had entered the contest under pressure after back-to-back ducks in his previous two innings, but he responded with a composed and commanding hundred that powered RCB to a comfortable six-wicket win in Raipur on Wednesday. The result also lifted Bengaluru to the top of the IPL 2026 points table and strengthened their push for a top-two finish.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar highlighted Kohli’s ability to build an innings under pressure and praised the way he paced the chase. According to the former India great, Kohli once again shut down all debate around his form with a trademark performance when it mattered most.
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“Virat Kohli was absolutely outstanding against KKR. He knows how to construct a chase better than most,” Sunil Gavaskar said on Star Sports’ Amul Cricket Live.
He also noted how Kohli’s innings came at a time when much of the conversation around the season had focused on the rise of younger players. Instead, Kohli reminded everyone why he remains one of the most dependable batters in the league.
“While everyone was talking about this being the season of ‘Gen Next’, Kohli showed he is still around. He silenced the doubters with a century,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
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The former India skipper further pointed to Kohli’s incredible record in T20 cricket, saying his numbers are likely to stand the test of time. Kohli is now third on the list of T20 centurions and is also the fastest to 14,000 T20 runs. “This hundred was one of those special moments that remind us of his greatness,” Sunil Gavaskar said.
