Virat Kohli’s IPL 2026 campaign has kept gathering momentum, and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru batter looked every bit the “run-machine” as his innings found rhythm after a shaky early moment versus Gujarat Titans. He was initially dismissed for a duck—caught off a golden start—when Washington Sundar removed him off Mohammed Siraj, but Kohli’s response shifted the chase into his control. From that point, he managed the required tempo with ease in the pursuit of 206, keeping the run-rate in check while still finding boundaries through gaps and timing.
Kohli’s surge in the chase, plus major IPL milestones
- Kohli’s innings began with an early scare, as he was dismissed for 0 on a golden duck by Washington Sundar off Mohammed Siraj.
- After that setback, Kohli took charge of the chase, steadily moving the scoreboard and ensuring the target never became a pressing run-rate problem.
- He anchored his side before accelerating, reaching his half-century in just 30 deliveries.
- With momentum building, Kohli started to step up the pace, including two standout sixes that came against Jason Holder as he looked set for a century.
- Despite the acceleration, Kohli was eventually dismissed for 81 off 44 balls, driving a slower bouncer back onto his stumps.
His knock contained 8 fours and 4 sixes, reflecting both composure and intent in a high-pressure chase. The innings also carried historic weight beyond the match itself: Kohli became the first batter in IPL history to reach 800 fours. He now leads the all-time list comfortably, with Shikhar Dhawan sitting next on 768—though Dhawan has stepped away from the league. David Warner has 663 fours and Rohit Sharma 653, and only these two others have crossed the 600 mark, underlining Kohli’s remarkable output over time.
It was not the only milestone added around the same period of his campaign. Kohli also reached 300 IPL sixes, striking cleanly off Rashid Khan shortly after the end of the powerplay. That blow placed him among an elite group as the third batter ever to touch the 300-sixes mark in IPL history, joining Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle.
While Kohli’s batting has always been built on precision and placement, the six-hitting milestone also points to how his T20 approach has evolved. He now belongs among the competition’s leading power-hitters without relying purely on raw big-hitting. Gayle remains the benchmark with 357 sixes in 141 innings, a record that still stands alone at the top, while Rohit is second with 310 sixes from 271 innings. Kohli’s entry into that bracket further emphasizes his longevity and adaptability in the shortest format.
Sai Sudharsan’s hundred sets up Gujarat Titans’ total of 205/3
Earlier in the contest, Sai Sudharsan produced a 100 that offered a distinctly different flavour to typical T20 scoring, yet still proved more than enough to carry Gujarat Titans to 205 for three. Sudharsan’s 58-ball century—his third IPL hundred—anchored GT’s unusual, trend-defying batting effort and formed the backbone of their innings.
The left-hander also drove the early phase with authority, dominating a 128-run opening stand alongside captain Shubman Gill (32 off 24). From the outset, Sudharsan faced 29 deliveries during the powerplay, compared with Gill’s seven, and that imbalance in workload helped set the tone early and keep GT’s innings on a steady upward path.
