Virat Kohli turned a potential turning point into a match-winning spell of certainty as Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the IPL 2026 title. During the chase in the final, Kohli was nearly dismissed on a sensational catch attempt by Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill\u2014only for the third umpire to overturn the decision after replays suggested the ball had brushed the turf. The controversial reprieve immediately sparked a tense exchange between Kohli and Gill, and it ultimately proved pivotal in RCB\u2019s five-wicket win with 12 balls remaining.<\/p>\n
The incident came at 15.6 overs with RCB in a commanding position during their successful chase. Kohli went for an attempted drive off Arshad Khan but struck it poorly enough to invite a high-impact moment in the field. Gill moved sharply and appeared to complete a dramatic diving catch.<\/p>\n
However, Kohli\u2019s reaction was swift and firm. He questioned whether the ball had carried cleanly, pushing for clarity on whether the catch had been taken without any contact with the ground. As the Gujarat Titans players began to celebrate, Kohli walked toward Gill and asked whether the dismissal was really legitimate, implying the ball may have brushed the grass during the attempt.<\/p>\n
With doubt lingering over the catch, the call was referred to the third umpire. Replays indicated the ball was extremely close to the turf, and Gill\u2019s fingers did not appear to be positioned fully underneath it as he completed the attempt. After reviewing multiple angles, third umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal ruled that the ball had made contact with the ground and overturned the decision.<\/p>\n
The reversal triggered contrasting emotions. Kohli punched the air in celebration and was quickly seen exchanging a few words with Gill, who looked visibly stunned that the catch had not stood. The crowd erupted as the RCB batting icon received a crucial lifeline.<\/p>\n
What made the moment even more striking was how it echoed an earlier controversy in the first innings. Washington Sundar had also been spared after Jordan Cox\u2019s fine-leg catch was deemed not clean enough by the third umpire\u2014another reminder of how marginal those decisions can be in cricket\u2019s biggest stages.<\/p>\n
With the reprieve secured, Kohli went on to make it count. He anchored RCB\u2019s chase with a brilliant unbeaten 75 off just 42 balls. His innings featured nine fours and three sixes, and it included a major personal milestone: the fastest fifty of his IPL career, reached in only 25 deliveries.<\/p>\n
RCB ultimately chased down the target with 12 balls to spare, completing a five-wicket victory. The win secured their second consecutive IPL title, with Kohli\u2019s controversial escape at 15.6 overs transforming a close call into the kind of innings that decides finals.<\/p>\n
Earlier, RCB\u2019s bowlers had already done the groundwork for the triumph. Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck in the powerplay, removing Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan. Later, Rasikh Salam Dar delivered the key burst, producing figures of 3 for 27 to restrict Gujarat Titans to 155 for 8, despite Washington Sundar fighting hard with a half-century.<\/p>\n
In the end, Kohli\u2019s reprieve emerged as one of the defining moments of the IPL 2026 final: the batting icon turned an uncertain dismissal into a match-winning innings, and RCB claimed another trophy in style.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Virat Kohli turned a potential turning point into a match-winning spell of certainty as Royal Challengers Bengaluru lifted the IPL 2026 title. During the chase…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13496,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"IPL 2026 Final: Kohli vs Gill Controversial Catch","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"IPL 2026 Final drama: Kohli\u2019s near-dismissal ruled no-ball after replays, sparking Kohli-Gill tension as RCB clinch the title with a final flourish.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13497","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n