Virat Kohli lights up Bengaluru with unbeaten 69 in Season Opener

Virat Kohli (PC: IPL/BCCI)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) star batter Virat Kohli played a match-winning knock in their opening match of IPL 2026. His innings helped RCB chase down 202 runs in just 15.4 overs and secure a dominant six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on March 28 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Kohli anchored the chase brilliantly and remained unbeaten on 69, which came off 38 balls. The RCB opener smashed five boundaries and five maximums at a strike rate of 181.57. His innings got a reprieve in the seventh over when Heinrich Klaassen dropped his catch at long-on off Harshal Patel’s delivery. The dropped catch proved costly, as RCB made full use of the opportunity.

There was also a rare moment involving Kohli in the field. During SRH’s innings, he dropped a simple catch at long-on in the 18th over after Aniket Verma miscued his shot. The ball slipped from his hands, leaving him surprised.

Despite the mistake, the veteran batter controlled RCB’s chase with his smart batting, as he stitched together a 101-run partnership with Devdutt Padikkal (61) in just 45 balls. After Padikkal’s dismissal, Kohli maintained the momentum with captain Rajat Patidar (31), adding 53 runs together. Tim David also contributed some crucial runs to finish the game with 26 balls remaining.

Speaking to broadcasters after the match, Kohli reflected on his innings and said, “It was good to get back out there. The last game I played was the final last year, but I think the way I batted in the one-day series quite recently really helped me to stay in that same kind of momentum. I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t usually play, so I knew as long as I have the rhythm and I’ve put enough work physically behind the scenes with my fitness, things should come together nicely. Tonight was another chance to start strong and to build on this.”

The defending champions will next face the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on April 5 in Bengaluru.

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The post Virat Kohli lights up Bengaluru with unbeaten 69 in Season Opener appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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