Virat Kohli suffered another unusual batting setback in IPL 2026, getting out for a golden duck during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s chase in Raipur on Sunday. The former RCB skipper faced just the first delivery of the innings before Deepak Chahar struck to deliver a major early blow for Mumbai Indians.
At a glance
- Kohli recorded a golden duck against Mumbai Indians in Raipur on Sunday during RCB’s chase.
- Deepak Chahar dismissed Kohli on the very first ball after the innings break.
- Kohli’s dismissal was his second straight duck in IPL 2026.
- RCB’s previous match saw Kohli dismissed for a two-ball duck by Prince Yadav against Lucknow Super Giants.
- This was only the second time in Kohli’s IPL career he has made ducks in consecutive innings (first in 2022 vs LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad).
- Deepak Chahar also removed Devdutt Padikkal in the third over, adding pressure on RCB early.
- Mumbai recovered to post 166/7 after being asked to bat first.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar took three wickets in the powerplay, while Tilak Varma made 57 off 42 and Naman Dhir contributed 47.
Chasing a target on a surface that offered uneven bounce, Kohli tried to loft the ball over mid-off. However, the delivery skidded and rose slightly more than expected, and he couldn’t get the required elevation or clean connection. The ball came off high on the bat and floated towards Raj Bawa, who sprinted in and took a sharp, diving catch.
The dismissal extended Kohli’s current lean run, with this being his second consecutive duck in the tournament. RCB’s last outing had already ended with Kohli departing for a two-ball duck against Lucknow Super Giants, with Prince Yadav delivering the knockout. For Kohli, this is only the second time across his IPL history that he has registered ducks back-to-back, the earlier instance coming in 2022 when he fell in successive innings versus LSG and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Unwanted MI record and early double strike
The momentum of Mumbai’s start also fed into an unwanted pattern for Kohli against MI. His tally of ducks versus IPL opponents shows three dismissals against Mumbai Indians, which matches the highest count in his record list for a single rival, sitting level with the same number against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Chahar, buoyed by the immediate breakthrough, struck again soon after. In the third over, he sent Devdutt Padikkal back, removing another batter early and leaving RCB scrambling in the chase. With wickets falling quickly, RCB’s pursuit became a tense battle from the outset.
Mumbai’s recovery to 166/7
Earlier on the evening, Mumbai Indians clawed their way back after a rough start when they were put in to bat first. On a challenging Raipur track, the innings looked shaky early, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar played a decisive role with a classic new-ball spell.
Bhuvneshwar dismissed Ryan Rickelton, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav during the powerplay, shrinking MI to 28/3 and putting them under immediate pressure. From there, Tilak Varma steadied the innings with a composed knock of 57 off 42, building the platform for Mumbai to stay in contention.
Naman Dhir also contributed in a valuable middle-overs burst, striking 47 as the innings progressed. By the time the innings closed, Mumbai’s final score was 166/7, a total that looked competitive given the uneven bounce and the assistance seamers can find on such surfaces.
