Virat Kohli couldn’t hide his excitement when he spotted Krunal Pandya’s son while the RCB star and Anushka Sharma waited for the post-match presentation at the Narendra Modi Stadium. After Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 final, Kohli and Anushka stood on the field as Krunal walked past with his child. Kohli immediately rushed in to hug the youngster and playfully pull his cheeks, while Anushka looked on with a smile. The former RCB captain also exchanged a few words with the boy, adding to the playful moment amid the celebrations.
From hugs to headlines: Kohli’s final-day moment
The scene unfolded during the brief lull after the trophy-clinching win, with Kohli’s attention momentarily taken off the cricket and onto the family moment. Anushka Sharma remained nearby, watching the interaction with amusement as Kohli shared the quick, heartfelt engagement with Krunal’s son before the awards proceedings.
IPL 2026 final: GT’s collapse after being put in to bat
The IPL 2026 final kicked off with RCB captain Rajat Patidar winning the toss and choosing to bowl. Gujarat Titans’ start, however, turned disastrous, with both openers falling during the powerplay.
- Shubman Gill made 10 before being dismissed by Josh Hazlewood in the third over.
- Sai Sudharsan, after scoring 12, was out in the very next over, bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
- Nishan Sindhu (20) and Jos Buttler (19) could not convert their starts as the innings continued to unravel.
- Washington Sundar stayed resilient, finishing unbeaten on 50 off 37 balls, but the rest of the batting order crumbled.
- Arshad Khan (15), Rahul Tewatia (7), Jason Holder (7) and Rashid Khan (7) all failed to make meaningful contributions.
- Rasikh Salam led RCB’s wicket-taking with a three-wicket haul.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood each took two wickets as RCB restricted GT to 155/8 in 20 overs.
RCB’s chase: Venkatesh’s burst, Kohli’s anchor, and the winning finish
Chasing 156, RCB began positively, fueled by Venkatesh Iyer’s quickfire 32 off 16 balls. He attacked in the powerplay, striking four boundaries and clearing the ropes twice to set the tone. Kohli then stepped into the anchor role as the chase gathered momentum.
- Devdutt Padikkal was dismissed for 1.
- Rajat Patidar fell for 15 within nine overs.
- Krunal Pandya was out for 1 inside the nine-over mark.
Tim David’s entry helped RCB consolidate and build a partnership with Kohli. Kohli also reached his fastest IPL half-century, coming off just 25 deliveries. David later departed for 24 off 17 balls, but Kohli maintained the tempo and guided RCB to 161/5 in 18 overs, finishing with an unbeaten 42-ball 75 that featured nine fours and three sixes.
For Gujarat Titans, Rashid Khan picked up two wickets in the chase.
Kohli’s Player-of-the-Match words
Kohli was named Player of the Match for his decisive contribution. After the game, he described the moment as something he had been imagining for a long time, saying: “Well, it’s the stuff that you dream of. I’ve thought of this moment many times, that, you know, once when we win the IPL, I should be standing there hitting the winning runs and tonight it was possible. So yeah, just a dream day for us. And as I mentioned straight after the game as well, we just felt really relaxed coming to the game today and really confident about how we wanted to go about our game and what kind of team we have. And that gives you confidence to just, you know, see any kind of situation through.”
