Virat Kohli's Stellar Century Leads RCB to Victory Over KKR in IPL 2026

Kohli's Explosive Performance Secures Win for RCB

In a thrilling encounter at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Virat Kohli's remarkable unbeaten 105 off 60 balls propelled the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a six-wicket victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in their IPL 2026 match on Wednesday.

Chasing a challenging target of 193 runs, Kohli's century, which included 11 fours and three sixes, alongside Devdutt Padikkal's contribution of 39 runs, ensured RCB's triumph with five balls to spare.

Kohli's Century Fuels RCB's Chase

The match commenced with Kohli under pressure after two consecutive ducks. RCB's innings began slowly, managing just one run in the first over. However, the momentum shifted dramatically in the second over, where Kohli struck four boundaries, helping RCB score 18 runs.

Jacob Bethell also made his mark, hitting two boundaries and a six in the following over, bringing RCB to 36 without loss after three overs.

The opening partnership was broken in the fourth over when Kartik Tyagi dismissed Bethell for 15 runs, catching a short delivery off his own bowling.

Padikkal joined Kohli, and they quickly built a solid partnership. After six overs, RCB was at 66/1, benefiting from KKR's fielding errors, including a dropped catch of Kohli by Rovman Powell.

Kohli reached his half-century in just 32 balls by the 10th over, with RCB at 101/1.

Tyagi eventually broke the 92-run partnership by dismissing Padikkal, who scored 39 runs off 27 balls. RCB was at 133/2 after 14 overs, with Kohli and captain Rajat Patidar at the crease.

Despite losing Patidar for 11 runs, Kohli continued to score freely, and RCB reached 157/3.

Tyagi claimed another wicket, dismissing Tim David for 2 runs, but RCB managed to reach 181/4 after 18 overs.

Kohli celebrated his ninth IPL century in the 19th over, becoming the fourth-highest century scorer in T20 cricket. With just three runs needed in the final over, Jitesh Sharma sealed the victory with a boundary, leading RCB to a six-wicket win.

This victory elevated RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 points table, amassing 16 points from eight wins in 12 matches.

For KKR, Tyagi was the standout bowler with figures of 3/32 in four overs, while Sunil Narine took 1/31.

Raghuvanshi's Fifty Sets Up KKR's Competitive Total

Earlier in the match, KKR opted to bat first, with Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen opening the innings. Allen started aggressively, scoring 18 runs before being dismissed by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi then joined Rahane, and together they applied pressure on RCB's bowlers with a series of boundaries. However, Hazlewood dismissed Rahane for 19 runs, bringing Cameron Green to the crease.

Despite the early setbacks, Raghuvanshi and Green steadied the innings, reaching 86/2 at the halfway mark.

Green accelerated the scoring with a six off Krunal Pandya, contributing to a 50-run partnership before being dismissed for 32 runs.

Raghuvanshi reached his half-century in the 14th over, marking his fourth fifty of the season, a record for a KKR player aged 21 in a single IPL edition.

The duo's aggressive batting helped KKR reach 172/3 at the end of 18 overs. Rinku Singh hit a six in the final over, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar kept the scoring in check, allowing KKR to finish at 192/4.

For RCB, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Josh Hazlewood, and Rasikh Salam Dar each took one wicket.