Former India great Sunil Gavaskar heaped praise on Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli for his match-winning innings against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the IPL 2026, arguing that an early dropped chance involving Kohli swung the balance decisively in Bengaluru’s favour. Gavaskar said the reprieve early in the chase allowed Kohli to settle quickly and once again underline his reputation as a batter who thrives when the target gets steep.
Speaking on Star Sports, the JioStar panel expert pointed to the moment that changed the contest. “That dropped catch of Virat Kohli off Siraj’s bowling definitely cost Gujarat Titans a lot,” Gavaskar said, stressing that the missed opportunity came at a critical stage when GT still had time to apply pressure.
Gavaskar also highlighted Kohli’s standing as one of the most reliable chase-makers in modern T20 cricket. “We all know he is not just known as a king. He is known as a chase master as well,” he remarked, adding that the early reprieve proved decisive. “You drop him on the first ball, then he will definitely make you pay. That is exactly what he did,” Gavaskar said.
Looking at Kohli’s overall approach, the former captain underlined that chasing big totals has remained a defining thread across his career. “Chasing down huge totals with ease has been Virat’s trademark batting style throughout his career,” he noted.
Gavaskar further suggested that GT could feel aggrieved about the missed chance, particularly because of the match conditions. “At one point… the ball was gripping a bit. It would not have been that easy once the ball got a little older,” he observed, implying that Bengaluru benefited from GT’s inability to cash in while the ball was still behaving unpredictably.
Wrapping up his analysis, Gavaskar praised Kohli’s temperament and consistency under pressure. “This man is one of the greatest in the game. He made it look easy,” he said.
Gavaskar then turned his attention to Devdutt Padikkal’s progress in IPL 2026, noting that the batter has expanded his scoring options and strengthened RCB’s top order. “Devdutt Padikkal played an excellent innings. Virat Kohli rightly pointed out after the match that Padikkal has been hitting some very clean cricketing shots,” Gavaskar said.
He explained how Padikkal’s evolution has changed the way Bengaluru’s innings develops. “Earlier, he was seen as an offside player. His main scoring areas were cover and mid-off. He used to struggle on the on-side. But now he has overcome that limitation,” Gavaskar added.
Continuing, Gavaskar said Padikkal is now finding boundaries from wider areas as well. “He is hitting sixes and boundaries behind square as well. This adds to RCB’s batting strength. They have Devdutt at number three and Captain Rajat Patidar at number four. Both can hit sixes from the first ball. That is making a big difference for RCB right now,” he remarked.
RCB chase 206 with Kohli’s 81 and Krunal’s finishing touch
In the run chase of 206, RCB felt an early jolt when GT pacer Mohammed Siraj removed opener Jacob Bethell, leaving Bengaluru reeling at 26/1 after three overs. However, Kohli and Padikkal steadied the innings and ensured the required run rate stayed under control.
Kohli played a knock of 81 off 44 balls to anchor Bengaluru’s response with a fluent half-century, while Padikkal made 55 off 27 deliveries to provide strong support. The pair kept the scoreboard moving steadily, and their partnership grew to a 115-run stand in just 59 balls.
After Kohli and Padikkal departed in quick succession, the middle overs tightened. Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar struck to bring RCB to 175/5 after 16 overs, leaving the finish line closer but the equation demanding.
Bengaluru then lost Rajat Patidar for 8 and Jitesh Sharma for 10. With 31 runs required from the last four overs, the pressure mounted, but Krunal Pandya delivered when it mattered most, ending unbeaten on 23 from 12 balls.
Krunal took the attack to GT’s bowlers, smashing 15 runs off the 18th over to effectively break the back of the chase. Tim David also contributed with an unbeaten 10-run effort off nine balls, giving Bengaluru just enough momentum heading into the final over.
In the 19th over, Krunal wrapped it up by pulling a short delivery from Jason Holder to the deep square-leg region for a single, sealing the victory as RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs. The win gave Bengaluru two crucial points and lifted them to the second place in the IPL 2026 points table, with 10 points from seven matches—five wins and two defeats.
