Royal Challengers Bengaluru moved back to the top of the IPL 2026 points table after a rain-hit but high-quality win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday. The victory was built around a vintage Virat Kohli masterclass, as the RCB superstar answered recent criticism with an unbeaten century that carried his side to a successful chase of 193 with five balls and six wickets to spare.
Kohli’s unbeaten 105 off 60 balls proved to be the defining innings of the night. Coming into the match after back-to-back ducks, the former India captain looked composed from the start and finished with complete control, especially in the second half of the chase. His knock also made KKR’s earlier batting effort, led by Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s fluent half-century, look far less significant in the final outcome.
Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was full of praise for Kohli’s ability to read the surface and adjust his approach as the innings progressed. Ashwin said the key to Kohli’s success was not just timing or shot-making, but his understanding of conditions and game situations.
ALSO READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Gets India A Chance As Tilak Varma Takes Charge
“Fabulous knock by Kohli. I’ve mentioned how crucial reading the wicket is,” Ravichandran Ashwin said, praising the RCB batter’s game awareness. He added that Kohli smartly used the pace of the ball and found the gaps rather than forcing shots unnecessarily.
Kohli’s innings, Ravichandran Ashwin noted, was at its best from 70 to 100, when the veteran batter changed gears without losing control. That ability to shift seamlessly from anchor to aggressor once again highlighted why Kohli remains one of the most dependable chase-makers in T20 cricket.
Earlier, RCB skipper Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first. KKR lost Finn Allen early for 18, before Josh Hazlewood dismissed Ajinkya Rahane for 19 to leave the home side under pressure. Angkrish Raghuvanshi then rebuilt the innings with Cameron Green, adding 68 runs for the third wicket. Green scored 32 before Rasikh Salam struck, while Rinku Singh provided late momentum with an unbeaten 49 off 29 balls. KKR finished on 192/4 after 20 overs.
ALSO READ: CSK Sign Dian Forrester as Jamie Overton Replacement For IPL 2026
RCB’s chase began with Jacob Bethell and Devdutt Padikkal supporting Kohli. Bethell made 15 before falling to Kartik Tyagi, while Padikkal contributed a useful 39. Tyagi and Sunil Narine kept KKR alive briefly, and Manish Pandey produced a brilliant boundary-line catch to dismiss Tim David for 2.
But Kohli stayed till the end, bringing up his ninth IPL century and sealing the win in style. His unbeaten 105 not only restored RCB’s momentum but also reminded everyone why he continues to be the league’s most reliable big-match batter.
