Virat Kohli made his first appearance as an Impact Substitute for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026 and wasted no time reminding everyone of his class. Despite carrying knee soreness from the previous game against the Mumbai Indians, the RCB star top-scored in the five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, guiding his side to the top of the points table.

Kohli was not included in the starting XI after struggling with discomfort in the knee during the Mumbai game, but he later walked out to open the innings and produced another valuable knock under pressure. He made 49 off 34 balls, setting the tone for RCB’s chase of 147. The innings pushed him to the top of the Orange Cap race as well, with 228 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 158.33.

Speaking after the match, Kohli admitted that he is still not fully fit, even though things are improving. “Yeah, much, much better than the last game,” Virat Kohli said. “I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now. So yeah, just getting back up to my best.”

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RCB lost Phil Salt early in the second over, but Kohli made sure the chase never lost momentum. He raced to 34 off just 14 balls, putting LSG under immediate pressure. However, once the pitch slowed down, his scoring rate dropped and he was unable to carry the innings through to the finish.

Virat Kohli said— “Much better than the last game, still not 100% – knee was sore last game, even health wise I was under the weather for the last 4 or 5 days, happy with my intensity in this game”. pic.twitter.com/omUHqCk77C

— Pijush Saha (@sahapijush7) April 16, 2026

“I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity,” he said. “I would have liked to carry on and finish the game off. Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account as well. The pitch slowed down considerably, and I just wanted to keep going in the same manner. But yes, I should probably have finished that one off as well.”

Even with those small frustrations, Virat Kohli’s return to batting was a major boost for RCB. His experience, consistency and ability to control the Powerplay remain vital to their campaign. In recent seasons, he has also adapted his game well, becoming more aggressive early on while still anchoring innings when required.

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For defending champions RCB, Kohli’s fitness will be a key concern heading into the next fixture against the Gujarat Titans on April 18. With him in form, they look dangerous. With him fully fit, they look even stronger.