Virat Kohli’s exuberant leap after Royal Challengers Bengaluru edged Mumbai Indians in a tense finish on Sunday underlined just how valuable the result was for the defending champions. RCB sit at the summit of the points table, and with only three matches left in the league stage, another victory would seal their place in the playoffs.
How RCB chased down Mumbai’s target
- RCB began their chase of 167 with early setbacks, failing to get the kind of tempo they needed from the top order.
- Kohli managed 0, Devdutt Padikkal contributed 12, and Rajat Patidar made 8, leaving the chase in a fragile state.
- Krunal Pandya then turned the match around with a superb knock of 73, lifting RCB back into contention.
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who had already taken four wickets earlier in the contest, delivered the decisive push with crucial runs in the final over.
- RCB ultimately reached the target on the last ball, completing a dramatic, pressure-packed chase.
Kohli, who has represented RCB as his only IPL franchise, was naturally thrilled after the win. He kept his message short while thanking the management and then pointed to what the victory meant for the group’s belief and execution.
“Hey guys, I’m gonna keep it short. I’m gonna wrap it up tonight. Thanks, Andy (Flower), for giving me a chance to do something in the game today,” Kohli said.
He added that wins in multi-team contests demand more than talent—especially when the match gets difficult. “But guys, look, if you want to win multi-team competitions, we need a team. We need a game like that. We need to scrap for a win. We need to fight hard. And we know the feeling in the group. We’re just talking about the game, how we started off again. Bhuvi, brilliant in the Powerplay. Your execution, your skills, you are absolutely world-class. I think it was the sixth three-wicket haul of the season – 11 games, which is crazy.”
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, meanwhile, spoke about the confidence behind his wicket-taking run and how he believes the process is clicking. “The good thing is that whatever I’m doing or trying to do, it’s happening. And I think it’s all about confidence. When you start the IPL, you go through a couple of good matches, then your confidence goes up. And I think, yes, I don’t want to change it, but whatever I’m trying to do, it’s happening. My execution is spot on, getting wickets and, of course, getting help from fielders to catch those crucial chances. So yes, I mean things work out.”
Kohli also singled out the rest of RCB’s bowling unit for their impact. “Shef (Romario Shepherd), the way you bowled tonight was top-notch, and you showed us what you can do when you feel confident with the ball in hand and you can hit your areas. You have the skill, and we all back you to execute your skills every time. So well done on that,” he said.
He continued: “KP (Krunal), always can bank on you under pressure or any kind of situation. Again, brilliant with the ball. Suyash (Sharma) did his job as well. Rasikh (Salam Dar) was great too,” Kohli added.
On the batting side, Kohli admitted RCB did not get off to the best start but stressed the importance of contributions from different parts of the line-up. “With the bat, we didn’t get off to the best start. We know that. But like the last game, we’ve had two games where we haven’t had the best starts, but last game, Rajat stepped up along with KP contributing. TD (Tim David) made an impact in the last game. This game around again, he stuck in and got us an important partnership with KP. So that contribution was crucial for us to chase the score down. So well done,” Kohli said.
