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Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh said that even though Virat Kohli scored his half-century at a slightly slower pace than opener Phil Salt and skipper Rajat Patidar, his innings was still very important in helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) reach 240 against Mumbai Indians (MI) at Wankhede Stadium.
Harbhajan Singh backs Virat Kohli
After a dominating batting show, RCB bounced back with a win as they lost their last clash against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati. Harbhajan, who was a part of India's 2011 World Cup-winning squad, mentioned that Kohli was not satisfied with his innings against MI but he made sure that there were no early wickets.
“Virat Kohli’s half-century came at a slightly slower pace. You could see he wasn’t fully satisfied, especially with the way Phil Salt was scoring at the other end. But his role was crucial. He ensured there were no early wickets and provided stability at the top,” Harbhajan said on JioHotstar.
Harbhajan Singh reckons that RCB skipper Rajat Patidar and Phil Salt played more aggressively because Kohli's innings allowed them to play their natural game.
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“While players like Rajat Patidar and Salt played more aggressively, Kohli anchored the innings and allowed them to play their natural game. Against someone like Jasprit Bumrah, he was very cautious and played him intelligently, but he made sure to capitalise on the other bowlers whenever there was an opportunity,” he added.
Kohli has been an important part of RCB’s batting this season. In four matches so far, he has scored 179 runs, including two fifties. His scores in the 2026 season read 69, 28, 32, and 50, helping RCB post big totals and also chase targets when needed.
MI vs RCB match report
RCB captain Rajat Patidar, along with Phil Salt and Virat Kohli, played match-winning knocks to guide their team to an 18-run win over Mumbai Indians.
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Batting first, RCB put up a big score of 240 for 4. Salt led the charge with a quick 78 off 36 balls, while Kohli added a steady 50 from 38 balls. The pair gave the team a strong start with a 120-run opening partnership. Patidar then took over in the middle overs, smashing 53 off just 20 balls to push the total even higher.
Chasing 241, Mumbai Indians finished at 222 for 5. Suyash Sharma played an important role with the ball for RCB, picking up two wickets and slowing things down at a key moment in the eighth over.
For Mumbai, Sherfane Rutherford was the standout performer, scoring an unbeaten 71 off 31 balls. However, his effort wasn’t enough to take the team over the line.
Opener Rohit Sharma started well but had to retire hurt on 19 due to a hamstring issue. Ryan Rickelton made 37, while Suryakumar Yadav scored 33 and captain Hardik Pandya added 40, but it wasn’t enough as RCB sealed the win.
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