Royal Challengers Bengaluru opener Jacob Bethell had a memorable, if unfortunate, moment against Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur on Wednesday, when Kartik Tyagi’s pace and precision ended his stay at the crease—and his expensive gold chain went with it. Tyagi beat the left-hander with a sharp short delivery that invited the England batter to go for a pull. Bethell made contact, but the shot was mistimed, producing a top edge that struck his helmet and floated back toward the bowler’s side for an easy take. In the same sequence, the 24-carat chain slipped from Bethell’s neck and dropped onto the ground, and he failed to notice it in the chaos of the wicket.
Devdutt Padikkal, who walked in next, spotted the chain on the pitch and promptly handed it back to the opener, ensuring the incident ended without further drama. The RCB chase that followed would still be built around Virat Kohli’s brilliance, but the Bethell episode provided an early talking point as the match unfolded at Raipur.
Kohli, meanwhile, stamped his authority on the run chase with a record-setting knock that helped RCB climb back to the summit of the points table. The talisman struck an unbeaten hundred to extend his IPL milestone to a ninth century in the competition, guiding his side to a six-wicket victory over KKR at the same venue on Wednesday. Kohli finished with 105 not out off 60 balls, and his return to form was immediate: he took a single in the first over, his first run in three matches, then quickly shifted into a gear that left the KKR bowlers struggling to find answers.
His effort carried multiple landmarks. Kohli’s unbeaten ton was his first hundred since the 2023 season, and it also moved him past MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma for the most matches in IPL history, reaching 279 league appearances. He further became the first Indian to score 14,000 runs in T20 cricket, underscoring the longevity behind his latest surge. In terms of strike, he struck 11 fours and three sixes from his 60-ball innings and remained composed throughout RCB’s chase. The visitors reached 194/4 in 19.1 overs, chasing KKR’s 192/4.
RCB’s platform was laid quickly, with the opening over featuring a sequence of boundaries that set the tone for Kohli’s innings. Vaibhav Arora struggled early, conceding runs in a flurry of deliveries that were struck with timing and intent. Kohli struck the first ball to midwicket off the pads, the fourth past square leg off a flick, the fifth went away wide outside off to free up his shot-making, and the sixth was guided down the wicket with help from the timing. The captain kept finding scoring areas, and with the boundaries coming regularly, RCB looked set for a smooth chase.
Jacob Bethell also contributed to the early momentum. After getting going, he struck Dubey for two fours and a six in the first three balls of the third over, helping RCB maintain a pace of roughly ten runs per over. But Tyagi’s short ball proved decisive soon after, turning Bethell’s start into a quick exit. The right combination of pace and length forced the England batter into a pull attempt that produced the top edge, which bounced off the helmet and was taken easily by Tyagi—an end to Bethell’s 15.
KKR nearly made the chase wobble further when Rovman Powell timed a leap perfectly at extra cover, attempting to catch Kohli’s lofted drive off Tyagi. However, the ball slipped through his grasp, giving Kohli a lifeline. That dropped chance did not affect RCB’s forward movement, with Devdutt Padikkal joining Kohli to build a solid partnership worth 92 runs for the second wicket. Even without visible urgency, Kohli and Padikkal controlled the chase methodically, dispatching the bad balls while rotating strike with ease.
KKR had another chance to strike when Vaibhav Arora failed to hold a routine catch off Cameron Green, again giving Padikkal a reprieve. Padikkal’s pull lacked the height Arora would have needed, and Arora had positioned himself well to meet the ball, but it popped out of his hands. Moments like these kept Padikkal in and allowed the chase to continue gathering momentum.
The second-wicket stand finally came to an end when Tyagi bowled a short delivery to Padikkal shortly after the second break. Padikkal mistimed the attempt, and Ajinkya Rahane completed the catch with a reverse-cupped effort. Rahane’s involvement didn’t end there—his athleticism came to the forefront in the next phase, as a leading edge off Rajat Patidar’s bat in the 16th over tested Rahane badly. He was all over the place as the ball rose, used his body to prevent it from dropping, and juggled it several times before securing control as RCB pushed the chase closer to the finish line.
Those breakthroughs might have offered KKR hope, but Kohli responded in emphatic fashion. He smashed Anukul Roy for a six and a four in the 17th over, and by then he had already completed his hundred from his 58th ball. From there, RCB’s route to the target looked increasingly straightforward as the innings moved toward its conclusion.
Earlier in the match, KKR had set a challenging total of 192 for four, powered by Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s career-best 71. Raghuvanshi’s innings featured three sixes and seven fours as he raced to the mark off 46 balls, building crucial partnerships that gave KKR the impetus they needed to post a competitive score. With the bat, he struck with fluency and ensured that once KKR found momentum, it was difficult for RCB to slow the scoring rhythm.
KKR’s momentum was briefly checked after the powerplay, but they still managed to keep the scoreboard moving. Rahane’s 19 came after a period of tight bowling in the first over, where he found a boundary following five dot balls from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Finn Allen then accelerated in the second over, smashing 14 runs off Jacob Duffy. Still, RCB responded strongly: Bhuvneshwar struck back by getting Allen caught behind with a ball that darted away, and Josh Hazlewood removed Rahane soon after Rahane had hit a six and a four off Duffy, leaving KKR with 17 runs coming off the fourth over.
After reaching 56 for two in the powerplay, Raghuvanshi and Cameron Green combined to take control, adding 68 runs for the third wicket. They then extended the momentum with a further partnership of 76 for the fourth wicket with Rinku Singh, who finished 49 not out off 29 balls, struck with three fours and two sixes. Raghuvanshi’s spell of dominance began with a commanding hit over wide long-on for a six, and he continued to pick up boundaries throughout the two major partnerships. His timing included deft cut shots on the off-side, a short-arm jab for a four off Duffy, and a superb maximum over the ropes off Krunal Pandya.
Green also played a vital role, striking 32 off 24 balls with three fours and a six, while Rinku remained stranded just one run short of a half-century, finishing unbeaten at 49 as KKR ended on 192/4. In the end, Kohli’s record-breaking chase sealed the outcome, turning a match that began with an unusual Bethell moment into a milestone night for RCB’s captain.
