Virat Kohli marked his return to form with his ninth century in the IPL as Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in their IPL 2026 encounter in Raipur on Wednesday. In reply to a target of 193, RCB chased it down with five balls still left, with Kohli remaining unbeaten on 105 from 60 deliveries.
After arriving at the venue following two straight outings where he was dismissed for ducks, Kohli began the chase with a calm, composed look. He punctuated his breakthrough by pumping his fist after settling in, then accelerated immediately—clipping Vaibhav Arora for four boundaries in a single over. Throughout the innings, Kohli kept rotating the strike while punishing both quicks and spinners, ensuring the required run rate never became a problem.
Kohli progressed to his fifty off 32 balls and then built a platform with Devdutt Padikkal. The pair added 92 runs together, with Padikkal contributing 39 off 27 balls, including seven fours. Kohli then reached his hundred by striking a single off Arora, delivering his ninth IPL ton—the most by any batter in the history of the league. Jos Buttler sits second in the all-time list with seven centuries.
Most IPL hundreds
- 9 – Virat Kohli*
- 7 – Jos Buttler
- 6 – Chris Gayle
- 6 – KL Rahul
- 5 – Sanju Samson
The victory lifted RCB to the summit of the points table, moving them above Gujarat Titans. There was plenty of celebration in the camp as the side saw one of its senior batters rediscover his rhythm in a match that mattered.
The contest itself had a delay, beginning 75 minutes later than scheduled due to rain and a damp outfield. Despite the late start, the Raipur crowd stayed engaged and witnessed a high-scoring game.
Earlier, Angkrish Raghuvanshi produced the best innings of his IPL career to steer KKR to 192 for four. Batting at number three, the 21-year-old struck 71 off 46 balls, featuring seven fours and three sixes, and it was his fourth fifty of the season.
KKR’s innings started unevenly after being asked to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane managed only 19, while Finn Allen contributed 18 from eight deliveries before Bhuvneshwar Kumar had him caught behind. Josh Hazlewood then struck again, removing Rahane with a short ball after the KKR captain had attacked Jacob Duffy in the preceding over.
With the score at 56 for two following the powerplay, Raghuvanshi took charge and rebuilt KKR’s momentum. He added 68 runs with Cameron Green, who made 32 off 24 balls, before joining Rinku Singh for a 76-run stand.
Raghuvanshi blended restraint with attacking intent. He found the boundary regularly through the off-side, struck a powerful short-arm pull off Duffy, and cleared the ropes when he hit Krunal Pandya for six. He also sent a slower ball from Rasikh Salam straight back over the bowler’s head. His innings eventually ended with a run-out on the final ball of KKR’s spell.
Rinku Singh finished unbeaten on 49 off 29 balls, striking three fours and two maximums. Though he fell one run short of a fifty, he ensured KKR ended strongly.
Brief Scores
- Kolkata Knight Riders: 192 for 4 in 20 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 71, Cameron Green 32, Rinku Singh 49; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/34)
- Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 194 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Virat Kohli 105 not out, Devdutt Padikkal 39; Kartik Tyagi 3/32)
