Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium witnessed a vintage masterclass on Wednesday Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) achieved a spectacular victory by 6 wickets Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). in the 57th match of ipl 2026The narrative focused entirely on one man: Virat Kohli. After a brief slump he set a record for consecutive zero outs Mumbai IndiansKohli silenced his opponents by playing a brilliant inning of 105 not out and took RCB to the top of the table with five balls to spare.
Krunal Pandya shares reaction after Virat Kohli’s prediction comes true in IPL 2026 vs KKR
While the cricket world was praising Kohli’s century in 60 balls, one person was not completely surprised. Krunal PandyaKohli’s RCB teammate took to Instagram soon after the win to remind fans of his unwavering faith. Posting a photo of the two celebrating, their hands joined to form ‘100’, Krunal’s caption was as concise as it was confident: “I told you so“
The post was a direct call to the intense scrutiny that Kohli had to face just a week earlier. After Kohli struggled in the previous matches, Krunal stood as the lone voice of absolute certainty. At that time Krunal told the press, “Virat Kohli is a champion player. When he fails in two matches I get more excited because I know he will come back. He is a different animal, he is very hungry. From here, I’m sure Virat Kohli will do like Virat Kohli“
By producing a Player of the Match performance under the Raipur lights, Kohli turned Krunal’s “prediction” into reality, proving that form is temporary, but his famous hunger for runs is permanent.
Also read: Top 5 players who played most matches in the history of IPL. Virat Kohli
RCB beats KKR to win easily in IPL 2026
The match started with KKR setting a strong target. led by Ajinkya RahaneKnight Riders scored 192/4 in 20 overs. The foundation for this was laid by Rahane’s steady 19 and explosive 71 Angkrish RaghuvanshiWho took the innings forward with 7 fours and 3 sixes. Rinku Singh Providing fireworks in the late innings, scoring an unbeaten 49 off just 29 balls. RCB’s bowling effort was led by Bhuvneshwar KumarWho proved his usefulness by taking one wicket for 34 runs. Josh Hazlewood And Rasikh Salaam Each got one wicket.
In reply, RCB’s chase was a masterclass in calculated aggression. despite losing jacob bethel Kohli finds a stable partner as early as 15 runs Devdutt PadikkalWho made an important contribution of 39 runs on 27 balls. The pair made a partnership of 92 runs which broke the back of the chase.
KKR’s Karthik Tyagi Was the best among the bowlers, claiming 3/32, which also included the wickets of Padikkal and tim david To stop the motion for a while. However, Kohli remained steadfast. Completing his century in just 58 balls, he finished the game at 194/4 in the 20th over. With this win, RCB strengthened their No. 1 ranking, boosted by a ‘reborn’ Kohli who continues to redefine longevity in the T20 format.
Also read: Top 5 players with most centuries in IPL history ft Virat Kohli