NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli has a habit of turning up when the pressure peaks, and the IPL 2026 final once again belonged to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru talisman. In Ahmedabad, as the thousands in the stadium celebrated another big-match performance, Kohli’s wife and Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma was also seen applauding from the stands—an emotional backdrop to an innings that ultimately proved decisive in RCB’s push for consecutive titles.
Kohli’s fastest half-century and Anushka’s standing ovation
- Kohli reached his fifty during RCB’s chase of 156, getting to the landmark in just 25 deliveries at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
- As soon as the batting superstar lifted his bat to acknowledge the crowd, RCB players in the dugout rose to applaud the knock.
- Anushka joined the celebration, standing alongside supporters and clapping enthusiastically for her husband.
- The clip of Anushka’s standing ovation spread quickly across social media, drawing attention from fans who highlighted the heartfelt moment.
The response was a fitting reflection of an innings that underlined Kohli’s knack for delivering on cricket’s biggest occasions. In his whirlwind knock, he struck seven fours and cleared the boundary twice, and he also completed the fifty with a boundary off Arshad Khan in the 12th over.
RCB’s rapid momentum before Gujarat’s comeback
Kohli’s acceleration didn’t arrive in isolation. Earlier, he found support from Venkatesh Iyer, and together the duo helped Bengaluru carve out the fastest team fifty in IPL final history—reaching the mark in only 3.3 overs and shaving off Chennai Super Kings’ prior record of four overs set in 2023.
Yet Gujarat Titans fought back hard. After the initial partnership of 62, they managed to break through at crucial moments, taking out four RCB batters for only 29 runs and tightening the contest as the chase progressed.
With the pressure building, Kohli shifted into an anchoring role while still keeping the run rate moving aggressively. That balance helped RCB maintain firm control of the chase and ultimately stay on track as the defending champions.
Historic milestone in Kohli’s IPL journey
Beyond the immediate impact on the final, Kohli’s 25-ball effort carried historic weight. It became the fastest half-century of his 19-season IPL career, eclipsing his previous fastest fifties of 26 balls that he had recorded in 2018.
As RCB closed in on the target, the knock—paired with the moment Anushka Sharma celebrated from the stands—captured the kind of big-game clarity Kohli is known for, reaffirming why he often seems at his best when it matters most.
