Virat Kohli’s masterful century powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thrilling six-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite Raghuvanshi’s gritty 71, RCB chased down 193 in Raipur to solidify their lead at the top
Published: May 14, 2026 1:23 AM IST
Virat Kohli struck a fantastic century to lead the Royal Challengers Bengaluru towards a 6-wicket victory victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders in match number 57 of the Indian Premier League 2026. The victory not only solidified RCB’s position at the top of the table but also halted KKR’s impressive 4-match winning streak.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl, RCB’s disciplined attack immediately put KKR under pressure. Despite the sluggish nature of the Raipur surface, young Angkrish Raghuvanshi anchored the innings with a composed 71 off 46 balls. He found support in Rinku Singh, whose late-innings cameo of 49 off 29 deliveries propelled KKR to a competitive total of 192/4.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the current Purple Cap holder, remained the pick of the bowlers for RCB, finishing with economical figures of 1/34.
Chasing 193, RCB’s pursuit was headlined by a vintage performance from Virat Kohli. Silencing critics after two consecutive ducks, Kohli played a sensational knock of 105 off 60 balls, laced with 11 boundaries and 3 sixes. His ability to navigate the middle-over spin of Sunil Narine and Anukul Roy was the turning point of the match.
While KKR’s Kartik Tyagi briefly threatened a comeback with 3 wickets for 32 runs, Kohli’s dominance ensured the asking rate remained manageable. Following Kohli’s departure in the 18th over, Devdutt Padikkal (39) and Jacob Bethell stayed calm to steer RCB home with five balls to spare.
