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Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have once again taken a big jump towards retaining the championship. At their new home venue in Raipur, the Rajat Patidar-led side chased down a massive total of 193 runs against Ajinkya Rahane's Kolkata Knight Riders. Devdutt Padikkal (39 off 27) and Virat Kohli (105* off 60) played superb knocks to lay the solid foundation for the win.
RCB recorded their eighth win in 12 outings and have 16 points in hand. These points should be enough to secure them a playoff berth. Meanwhile, KKR endured their sixth defeat in 11 matches, almost finishing their campaign in the ongoing IPL 2026 season.
Stunning performance from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh
The game at RCB's new home venue in Raipur began after a delay of one hour because of rain. After winning the toss, RCB chose to bowl first, and KKR did not get off to the best of starts. Opener and skipper Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for just 19 runs off 13 balls, hitting three fours and a six, while Finn Allen scored a quick 18 off eight balls.
After the initial setbacks, Angkrish Raghuvanshi took charge of the innings and got solid support from Cameron Green. Raghuvanshi stitched a beautiful knock of 71 runs off just 46 balls, hitting seven fours and three sixes. Green also made a valuable contribution of 32 runs off 24 balls, including three boundaries and a six.
Towards the end of the first innings, Rinku Singh provided a brilliant finish with an amazing knock of 49 not out off 29 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. Riding on his explosive innings, KKR managed to post a strong total of 192/4.
RCB strong performance in second innings
In response, RCB got off to a solid start despite losing Jacob Bethell early, losing his wicket on 15 off 12 deliveries. Coming to bat at No.3 Devdutt Padikkal made a significant contribution of 39 off 27, hitting seven fours. However, it was Virat Kohli who grabbed the limelight with his unbeaten 105 off 60, smashing 11 fours and three sixes. It was not a great day for skipper Rajat Patidar, as he managed to score only 11 runs off eight balls, losing his wicket off Sunil Narine's ball. Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma smashed the winning runs on the first delivery of the last over.
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