Royal Challengers Bengaluru returned to the top of the IPL 2026 points table with a commanding six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday.
After rain delayed the start of play, it was Virat Kohli who stole the spotlight with a magnificent unbeaten century as RCB chased down a target of 193 with five balls to spare. Kohli’s sensational knock overshadowed a brilliant half-century from KKR youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi.
RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and opted to field first. KKR openers Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen began aggressively before Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Allen for a quickfire 18 off eight balls. Soon after, Josh Hazlewood removed Rahane for 19 off 13 deliveries.
Raghuvanshi then anchored the innings superbly alongside Cameron Green as the pair stitched together a crucial 68-run stand for the third wicket. The young batter continued his impressive form and brought up another fluent half-century.
Green contributed 32 off 24 balls before Rasikh Salam Dar broke the partnership. Rinku Singh then joined Raghuvanshi and provided the finishing flourish for KKR. While Rinku remained unbeaten on 49 off 29 balls, Raghuvanshi was run out off the final delivery after a superb 71-run knock, helping KKR post 192/4 in 20 overs.
In reply, Kohli and Jacob Bethell gave RCB a brisk start before Bethell was caught and bowled by Kartik Tyagi for 15.
Devdutt Padikkal then partnered Kohli in a vital stand that shifted momentum firmly towards the hosts. After registering ducks in his previous two innings, Kohli looked back to his vintage best, attacking from the outset and bringing up a commanding half-century as RCB crossed the 100-run mark inside 10 overs.
Tyagi returned to dismiss Padikkal for 39 off 27 balls shortly after the strategic timeout. The pacer also struck Patidar on the helmet with a fiery bouncer before eventually removing the RCB skipper for 11.
Veteran spinner Sunil Narine then accounted for Patidar, while Manish Pandey produced a stunning catch to dismiss Tim David for just two runs.
However, Kohli remained unfazed and completed his ninth IPL century in style. The batting superstar finished unbeaten on 105 off just 60 balls, guiding RCB to victory in 19.1 overs and strengthening their hopes of securing a top-two finish in the league standings.
