NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli delivered one of his most well-rounded T20 performances in recent times on Wednesday, remaining unbeaten on 105 off 60 balls to steer Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2026. While the century naturally became the headline, it was Kohli’s lively chatter with Manish Pandey—captured by the stump microphone—that sparked a wave of attention online.
Chase in Raipur: Kohli finds rhythm, then steals the show
- RCB chased a target of 193 in Raipur, and Kohli looked much more settled as the innings progressed after a difficult patch that featured two straight ducks.
- As Kohli and Pandey shared the middle, stump mic audio revealed Kohli teasing his teammate about using unconventional options in the batting plan.
- Kohli was heard saying, “Haan, abhi maarunga dekh,” as he signaled an intention to go for a ramp-style shot.
- He then added with a laugh, “Ab toh India ke liye thodi na khelna hai, ab toh har shot lagega,” which prompted smiles from Pandey.
- The light-hearted exchange quickly spread across social media, with supporters circulating clips of Kohli’s playful side during a high-pressure chase.
Kohli’s batting itself matched the confidence in his conversation. Throughout the chase, the RCB captain looked completely in control, timing his acceleration with precision and maintaining the flow needed for a successful run chase.
He struck his ninth IPL century during the innings and, in the process, became the first Indian batter to surpass 14,000 runs in T20 cricket. Kohli reached the milestone with his 78th run of the innings, also turning into the fastest player to get to 14,000 T20 runs—doing it in 409 innings, which saw him eclipse the previous mark set by Chris Gayle.
With those numbers, Kohli joined an elite grouping that includes Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Alex Hales, David Warner and Jos Buttler—names that have defined T20 batting at the highest level.
Extra emotion in the middle: reunion, fielding moment, and a big result
The Kohli-Pandey exchange carried an added layer of nostalgia because the two have shared the dressing room before, during India’s 2008 U19 World Cup triumph. Pandey also had an important contribution of his own in the match, producing a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Tim David late in the innings.
Still, it was Kohli’s night all the way. After going four games without a half-century, the RCB star put together a statement innings to lift the defending champions back to the top of the table and move KKR closer to elimination.
