Relief, laughter and pure emotion were written all over it Virat KohliHis face on Tuesday night… Royal Challengers Bangalore The star has finally ended her brief lean patch ipl 2026. During a high-pressure match against RCB Kolkata Knight Riders At the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, Kohli avoided an unwanted hat-trick of ducks and celebrated the moment in trademark animated style.
Virat Kohli celebrating after a brilliant performance in Raipur
After scoring consecutive ducks in the contest, Kohli’s first run of the evening instantly became one of the most talked-about moments of the match. The veteran batsman punched the air, laughed at himself and accepted deafening cheers from the crowd, who clearly understood the significance of the moment. The celebration quickly went viral on social media, with fans enjoying the lighter and more relatable side of the typically intense RCB icon.
Notably, Kohli had entered the game under unusual scrutiny despite enjoying an excellent campaign overall. Before the KKR match, the former RCB skipper had scored 379 runs in 11 matches and remained one of Bengaluru’s most reliable batsmen throughout the tournament.
The 37-year-old also managed to score nine consecutive double-digit scores in the first season, which played a major role in RCB’s strong performance in IPL 2026. However, the unpredictable nature of cricket troubled him in the last two matches. After struggling against Lucknow Super Giants, Kohli faced consecutive ducks and faced only three balls combined in those innings. Such a sequence is extremely rare for a batsman known for his consistency and mental strength, which has naturally increased the conversation about his form.
Here is the video:
King is off target and fans can finally relax a little. 😉#TATAIPL Playoff race 2026 ➡️ #RCBvKKR | Live now 👉https://t.co/9SHVzm41aO pic.twitter.com/xMUaVlNOuY
– Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) 13 May 2026
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Aggressive start helped Kohli gain confidence
However, against KKR, Kohli seemed determined to put this conversation to rest immediately. Chasing a challenging target of 193 runs with the young opener jacob bethelKohli looked very calm from the beginning. RCB had a positive attack during the powerplay, with the senior batsman showing better intent and sharp footwork compared to his previous performances.
But more than the boundaries or strike rotation, it was Kohli’s reaction after scoring the first run that caught the fans’ attention. The moment reflected both relief and self-awareness. Kohli laughed immediately after completing the run, almost acknowledging how strange the previous two dismissals had been for a player of his stature.
Interestingly, this was not the first time that Kohli reacted emotionally after ending his streak of dismissals for a duck. Earlier this year, during India’s ODI tour of Australia, he had a similar celebration after finally returning to form after two scoreless outings.
Apart from ending his poor run of form, the evening also marked another landmark in Kohli’s illustrious T20 career. During the match, the RCB legend became the most capped player in IPL history, making his 279th appearance in the tournament. Doing this he moved forward ms dhoni And Rohit SharmaWho previously shared the record with 278 matches.
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