Virat Kohli finally had a reason to smile again in IPL 2026, and Raipur absolutely loved the moment. After heading into Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders with back-to-back ducks, Kohli broke the streak in dramatic fashion and celebrated his first run like a huge weight had just come off his shoulders.
The RCB opener punched the air, laughed at himself and soaked in the roar from the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium after avoiding what would have been an unwanted hat-trick of ducks.
IPLRCB vs KKR: UPDATES | SCORECARD
Watch the video here:
The veteran batter started the season in superb rhythm and quickly became one of RCB’s most reliable performers. Before the KKR clash, Kohli had scored 379 runs in 11 matches and stitched together nine consecutive double-digit scores while anchoring several important wins for Bengaluru.
But the conversation around his form suddenly shifted after the Lucknow Super Giants game.
Since then, Kohli had registered back-to-back ducks while facing just three deliveries combined across those innings. For a batter whose consistency is usually unmatched in the IPL, the brief slump naturally became a major talking point heading into the KKR fixture.
Against Kolkata though, Kohli wasted little time putting an end to the chatter.
Opening alongside Jacob Bethell in a tricky chase of 193, Kohli looked far more settled and positive early on as RCB attacked strongly during the powerplay. More importantly, he visibly looked relieved once he finally got off the mark.
VIRAT KOHLI AVOIDS HAT-TRICK OF DUCKS
Kohli’s animated celebration after taking his first run quickly became one of the highlights of the night.
The RCB star punched the air before breaking into laughter as the Raipur crowd erupted around him. It was almost as if Kohli himself acknowledged how unusual the last two games had been.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Kohli has reacted similarly after ending a brief duck streak. Earlier this year during India’s ODI tour of Australia, he had celebrated in almost identical fashion after breaking another two-match scoreless run.
The night also carried a major personal milestone for Kohli.
The former RCB captain became the most-capped player in IPL history during the clash, making his 279th appearance in the tournament and moving past MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who previously shared the record with 278 matches each.
Given the amount of discussion around his form before the game, Kohli would have been especially relieved that the landmark appearance did not get overshadowed by another early dismissal.
For someone who has spent nearly two decades carrying expectations every single match, even a single run clearly felt worth celebrating.
RCB VS KKR: BIG PLAYOFF PRESSURE IN RAIPUR
The clash itself carried huge playoff implications for both teams.
KKR entered the game needing a win to keep their playoff hopes alive after reviving their campaign with four consecutive victories. Angkrish Raghuvanshi once again stepped up for Kolkata with a career-best 71 off 46 balls, smashing seven boundaries and three sixes to guide KKR to 192 for four in the rain-delayed encounter.
The young batter stitched together important partnerships through the innings and helped Kolkata recover strongly after a relatively slow start from the openers.
RCB, meanwhile, came into the match sitting near the top of the table and knowing another victory would push them even closer towards securing a playoff berth and potentially a top-two finish.
IPL 2026 | IPL Schedule | IPL Points Table | IPL Player Stats | Purple Cap | Orange Cap | IPL Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– Ends
Source link
[ad_3]
