Virat Kohli made Gujarat Titans pay for a costly slip in the field as he steered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a commanding victory in their IPL 2026 match on Friday. Kohli struck 81 off 44 balls, and RCB’s chase was given a major lift when Washington Sundar dropped him early in the innings—an error that ultimately proved expensive.
Early chance goes begging as RCB get the momentum
RCB’s innings began with a warning sign for Gujarat in the opening over. Mohammed Siraj bowled the first ball and, at mid-wicket, Washington Sundar failed to hold a straightforward catch off the pacer. The missed opportunity meant Kohli survived and went on to make the Titans’ fielding lapse count.
Bishop and Steyn back Washington, but demand improvement
Legendary West Indies fast bowler Ian Bishop showed sympathy for Washington Sundar’s moment, saying that dropped catches are part of the game, but he still urged the fielder to raise his overall standards. Bishop also pointed out that Washington has made multiple fielding errors in the past.
- Bishop said there is no selective approach to dropped chances, noting that everyone has missed at some point.
- He added that Washington, being young and athletic, must improve his level of fielding and work harder to become an asset.
- Bishop described having seen repeated missed opportunities and stressed that more focus would help Washington contribute consistently in the field.
- Dale Steyn agreed with the overall message, saying a player of Kohli’s calibre cannot be dropped—implying that the catch was one that should have been taken every time.
Steyn also underlined the rarity of such chances, stating that regardless of who the batter is, the dismissal should be claimed in that situation.
Kohli’s 81 and Padikkal’s 55 wrap it up fast
Even with Sudharsan smashing a 58-ball century, the remainder of Gujarat’s batting unit could not add enough runs. They managed 105 runs in the remaining 62 deliveries, leaving the Titans with a target of 206. In response, Kohli (81) and Devdutt Padikkal (55) made the chase look comfortable, with their half-centuries helping RCB finish the job within the first 10 overs.
Gill’s cameo and the missing extra runs
One of the factors behind Gujarat’s inability to add momentum was Shubman Gill’s knock of 32 off 24 balls. Gill struck two fours and a six, and his strike rate was just over 133 on a batting-friendly surface in Bengaluru. Still, it wasn’t enough to prevent the Titans from falling behind in the run accumulation.
What Bishop said about Sudharsan’s century and aggression
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s ‘Timeout’ show, Bishop focused on what Sudharsan needed to do during his innings. He felt the batter had to lift his aggression and praised how Sudharsan delivered with the hundred.
- Bishop said Sudharsan was one of the players who needed to increase his aggression level.
- He described Sudharsan’s innings as outstanding for a batter who plays an orthodox style.
- Bishop said the century would be satisfying for Sudharsan, for the Gujarat Titans dugout, and for the IPL overall.
- He pointed to the recent run of hundreds, suggesting that more milestones were coming frequently in the league.
- Bishop added that Sudharsan did his part, implying other batters may have needed to step up as well.
- He specifically mentioned that Sai Sudharsan fulfilled his responsibility in the innings.
(ANI inputs)
