Virat Kohli delivered a vintage masterclass against Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026, and his brilliant comeback innings earned admiration not only from fans but also from legendary former all-rounder Dwayne Bravo. After enduring a rare lean patch with back-to-back ducks, Kohli silenced critics in emphatic fashion with an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. His sensational knock guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a commanding six-wicket victory over KKR and strengthened their position in the IPL 2026 playoff race.
The emotional moment after the match quickly went viral on social media. In a video shared by RCB, Bravo — currently serving as KKR mentor — was seen warmly embracing Kohli before telling him: “Play as long as possible, the sport needs you.” The heartfelt message reflected the immense respect Kohli continues to command across the cricketing world, even from rival camps.
Kohli later responded with a touching gesture of his own. Inside the RCB dressing room, the batting icon signed and gifted his match-worn jersey to Bravo, turning the post-match interaction into one of the most memorable moments of the IPL 2026 season so far.
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Beyond the emotional scenes, the night was historic for Kohli statistically as well. The RCB superstar became the first Indian batter to complete 14,000 runs in T20 cricket. Overall, he is only the sixth player in world cricket to achieve the landmark.
“Play as long as possible okay, the sports need you”
— Dwayne Bravo to Virat Kohli ♥️ pic.twitter.com/2zqAtV9KXF
— Gaurav (@Melbourne__82) May 14, 2026
Virat Kohli gifted his signed Jersey to Dwayne Bravo – Nice gesture by King 🥹👌 pic.twitter.com/qgKhKAnvtG
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 14, 2026
Kohli also shattered another major record by becoming the fastest batter to reach 14,000 T20 runs. He achieved the feat in just 409 innings, surpassing the previous record held by Chris Gayle, who had taken 423 innings.
The century against KKR was Kohli’s ninth IPL hundred and his 10th century overall in T20 cricket, including his international T20 hundred for India. That achievement made him the first Indian batter to register 10 centuries in the shortest format. Only Gayle and Babar Azam currently have more T20 hundreds than Kohli. Gayle leads the all-time list with 22 centuries, while Babar has 13. Kohli is now level with David Warner on 10 T20 centuries.
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The innings also underlined Kohli’s enduring greatness in franchise cricket. Just days after questions were raised about his form following consecutive ducks, the 37-year-old responded with a chase-defining knock filled with authority, timing, and composure. In the process, Kohli not only pushed RCB closer to the playoffs but also reminded the cricketing world why he remains one of the biggest match-winners in T20 history.
