Virat Kohli aced another run chase in Bengaluru in IPL 2026. In what was the last game in Bengaluru this season, RCB and Virat Kohli dazzled under the evening lights in Bengaluru. But before Virat put on a show, it was Sai Sudharsan who put on his masterclass as he scored his 3rd IPL hundred, and the others played around him as GT posted 205/3 in 20 overs.
In reply, Virat Kohli was dropped when batting on 0*, on the first ball he faced, as Washington Sundar dropped him at short midwicket off Siraj. The King Virat made the GT team pay for the dropped catch with his magical 81 off 44 balls and was ably supported by Devdutt Padikkal who, made 55 off 27 balls and, the others down the order did their bit to take the side over the line with Krunal Pandya playing the finisher’s role. RCB are now in 2nd place. GT are in 7th place.
Sai Sudharsan’s magical 3rd IPL ton powers GT to 205/3
Put into bat first, Sai Sudharsan and captain Shubman Gill came out to open for GT while Bhuvneshwar Kumar had the ball in hand for RCB. The duo started cautiously for the first three overs as they scored 20 runs in 3 overs. But then they turned it on, as it was the Sai Sudharsan show. Sai took most of the strike while Gill spent most of the time at the non-striker’s end. The duo slowly increased their current run rate.
At the end of the power play overs, GT were 57/0 in 6 overs. They were off to a solid start and carried on the good work. Sudharsan was the dominant partner while Gill played the role of an anchor player. The duo complemented each other really well. The duo put on a century stand as well for the first wicket. They put on 128 for the first wicket inside 13 overs before the captain Gill fell for 32 off 24 balls with 2 fours and one six to his name to Suyash Sharma.
Jos Buttler came out to bat next. But the story was all about Sai as he dazzled in Bengaluru. Buttler played his part as all the batters around him were playing around him. Sai got to his 3rd IPL hundred, and it was an innings of great class. Sudharsan and Buttler added 32 runs for the second wicket before Sai fell for a magnificent 100 off 58 balls with 11 fours and 5 sixes to his name to Josh Hazlewood.
Washington Sundar came out to bat next. Sundar was quick off the blocks while Buttler was playing his game. 17 runs were added to the tally before Buttler fell for 25 off 16 balls with 2 fours and a maximum to his name to Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Jason Holder came out to bat next. Holder played a useful cameo towards the end, while Sundar gave him good support. The duo added 28 runs in 14 balls unbroken, with Holder playing the innings, scoring 23 off 10 balls.
Sundar finished with an unbeaten 19 off 12 balls with one four and one six to his name, while Jason Holder was unbeaten on 23 off 10 balls with one four and two sixes to his name. GT finished with 205/3 in 20 overs with 6 extras given by the fielding side.
For RCB, the bowling was mixed. Bhuvneshwar Kumar finished with 1/31 in 4 overs. Suyash Sharma finished with 1/36 in 4 overs. Josh Hazlewood finished with 1/40 in 4 overs. Rasikh Salam finished with 0/28 in 3 overs. Krunal Pandya went for 50 in 4 overs. Romario Shepherd finished with 0/17 in 1 over. This meant that the target for RCB was 206 to win the contest in 20 overs.
Virat Kohli’s masterful 81 powers RCB to get the job done and get over the line
Chasing 206 for the win, Jacob Bethell as an Impact Player, came out to bat with Virat Kohli while Mohammed Siraj had the ball in hand for GT. A big moment in the game happened when Virat Kohli was on 0* and the score was around 1 when Washington Sundar dropped a dolly at short midwicket. Virat got a lifeline, and boy, he was about to make GT pay for this missed opportunity. Bethell got a few boundaries away. They put on 26 for the first wicket inside 3 overs before Bethell fell for 14 off 10 balls with 3 fours to his name. Devdutt Padikkal came out to bat next.
Kohli and Padikkal found a different gear together, with the former experiencing himself and looking to dominate the bowling. Kohli took the attack to the opposition and made GT regret the missed opportunity. Padikkal got himself in, and then he too attacked the opposition. The duo complemented each other really well. Padikkal and Kohli took the game away from GT, after which they never recovered. The duo scored quick runs and added to the current run rate.
RCB were 58/1 in 6 overs of power play. The duo carried on after that as well and aced the middle phase as well. The duo added 115 for the second wicket in just 59 balls before Padikkal fell for a well-made 55 off 27 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes to his name as he was cleaned up by Rashid Khan. Captain Rajat Patidar came out to bat next. Virat was looking good and was playing on a different planet. Just 13 more runs were added to the score before Virat chopped onto the stumps for 81 off 44 balls with 8 fours and 4 sixes to his name to Jason Holder.
Jitesh Sharma came out to bat next. Rajat hit a big one, and Jitesh hit a maximum as well. The duo added 17 runs for the 4th wicket before Jitesh fell for 10 off 6 balls with one four and one six to his name. Tim David came out to bat next. RCB lost another wicket in quick time as two runs were added to the score before Rajat fell for 8 off 5 balls with one six to his name to Manav Suthar. Krunal Pandya came out to bat next.
With 33 needed for the win, Krunal got into the accelerator’s role and hit the bowling out of the park. David managed to get a maximum off a top edge, while Krunal finished things off in style as he gave the finishing kick. Pandya made an unbeaten 23 off 12 balls in the end. In the end, RCB finished with 206/5 in 18.5 overs, with David unbeaten on 10 off 9 balls, with one six to his name. Krunal was unbeaten on 23 off 12 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name. 5 extras given by the fielding side.
For GT, the bowling was ineffective tonight. Rashid Khan finished with 2/49 in 4 overs. Mohammed Siraj finished with 1/25 in 3 overs. Jason Holder finished with 1/35 in 3.5 overs. Manav Suthar finished with 1/19 in 2 overs. Kagiso Rabada finished with 0/45 in 4 overs. Prasidh Krishna, the Impact Player, finished with 0/31 in 2 overs. So, RCB wins this game by 5 wickets with 7 balls to spare to climb upwards to 2nd in the points table. Virat Kohli was adjudged the Player of the Match award.
What Lies Ahead
So, RCB climbed to second in the points table with this win, while GT stays where they are at the bottom half of the table. They will be back in action next week. For now, we head to the weekend, where we will have two matches on Super Saturday. First up, it will be DC vs PBKS live from New Delhi at 3:30 PM IST, and this will be followed by RR VS SRH live from Jaipur at 7:30 PM IST. So, two action-packed matches come our way. It will be fun viewing for all.
Also Read: RCB VS GT: Sai Sudharsan’s 3rd IPL Ton Powers GT To 205/3