RCB Chase Down KKR in Raipur
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 6 wickets, overhauling Kolkata Knight Riders’ 192/4 with 5 balls to spare. Kohli’s unbeaten 105 off 60 balls gave the chase its shape, tempo, and finish.
KKR had enough on the board to make RCB work, but not enough to keep Kohli quiet once the chase settled into rhythm. The result also pushed RCB forward in the IPL 2026 race, while KKR’s position became shakier after another missed chance.
How It Happened
KKR batted first and put together a strong 192/4 in 20 overs, a total that looked competitive on a Raipur surface with some pace in it but not enough to stop clean hitting. The innings had enough substance to apply pressure, yet it always felt like a score RCB could chase if someone batted deep.
RCB’s reply was built around Kohli’s control. He did not just score; he absorbed pressure, found gaps, and kept the chase from drifting when KKR had brief openings, turning what could have been a tense pursuit into a measured climb.
The key phase came when the chase stopped being about surviving and started being about finishing. Once Kohli settled into full command, RCB never looked like a side chasing panic; they looked like a side waiting for the right ball to end it.
Jitesh Sharma’s unbeaten 8 off 5 balls completed the job, and the boundary that sealed the match underlined how comfortably RCB had managed the final stretch. The scoreline says 6 wickets, but the story was Kohli carrying the pressure and handing his side control at the exact right time.
Read Also | RCB Beat KKR by 6 Wickets in IPL 2026 Match 57: Virat Kohli’s 105 Powers Raipur Chase
Scorecard / Match Stats
Kolkata Knight Riders
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ajinkya Rahane (c) | c and b Josh Hazlewood | 19 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 146.15 |
| Finn Allen | c Jitesh Sharma b Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 18 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 225.00 |
| Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk) | run out (Devdutt Padikkal/Bhuvneshwar Kumar) | 71 | 46 | 7 | 3 | 154.35 |
| Cameron Green | b Rasikh Salam Dar | 32 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 133.33 |
| Rinku Singh | not out | 49 | 29 | 3 | 2 | 168.97 |
| Extras | 3 | |||||
| Total | 192-4 | (20 Overs, RR: 9.6) |
Did not bat: Rovman Powell, Manish Pandey, Sunil Narine, Anukul Roy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Dubey
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | NB | WD | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 0 | 34 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.50 |
| Jacob Duffy | 4 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12.00 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8.80 |
| Rasikh Salam Dar | 4 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8.80 |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 0 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9.80 |
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Bethell | c and b Kartik Tyagi | 15 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 125.00 |
| Virat Kohli | not out | 105 | 60 | 11 | 3 | 175.00 |
| Devdutt Padikkal | c Ajinkya Rahane b Kartik Tyagi | 39 | 27 | 7 | 0 | 144.44 |
| Rajat Patidar (c) | c Ajinkya Rahane b Sunil Narine | 11 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 137.50 |
| Tim David | c Manish Pandey b Kartik Tyagi | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 66.67 |
| Jitesh Sharma (wk) | not out | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 160.00 |
| Extras | 14 | |||||
| Total | 194-4 | (19.1 Overs, RR: 10.12) |
Did not bat: Venkatesh Iyer, Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rasikh Salam Dar, Jacob Duffy, Josh Hazlewood
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | NB | WD | ECO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saurabh Dubey | 2.1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9.70 |
| Vaibhav Arora | 4 | 0 | 48 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12.00 |
| Kartik Tyagi | 4 | 0 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8.00 |
| Sunil Narine | 4 | 0 | 31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7.80 |
| Cameron Green | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11.00 |
| Anukul Roy | 3 | 0 | 36 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 12.00 |
Star Performer
Virat Kohli was named Player of the Match after smashing 105 not out off 60 balls. That kind of innings does more than pile on runs; it removes uncertainty from a chase and forces the opposition to defend a total that starts looking smaller with every over.
What stood out was the manner, not just the number. After two successive ducks in his previous IPL innings, he answered with a century that looked calm, controlled, and completely in command of the chase.
The Turning Point
The match shifted when Kohli turned a demanding chase into a controlled one and RCB stopped losing momentum in clusters. From that point on, KKR were defending a total instead of attacking one, and the final boundary merely confirmed what the middle overs had already decided.
What This Means
This win gave RCB a major boost in the IPL 2026 standings and moved them into a stronger position in the qualification picture. For KKR, the loss was costly because it dented their momentum and left their fate dependent on other results.
The Bottom Line
KKR put up a solid total, but Kohli made it look chaseable from the moment RCB settled in. On a night that needed one batter to own the stage, he did exactly that.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who won RCB vs KKR in IPL 2026?
A: Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 6 wickets, chasing 194/4 in 19.1 overs after KKR made 192/4.
Q: Who was the Player of the Match?
A: Virat Kohli, for his unbeaten 105 off 60 balls.
Q: What is the current tournament standing?
A: RCB took a crucial step forward in the IPL 2026 qualification race, while KKR’s fate moved out of their hands.
References
Cricbuzz — RCB vs KKR, 57th Match, Indian Premier League 2026 — https://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricket-scores/152130/kkr-vs-rcb-57th-match-indian-premier-league-2026
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