Once again, Virat Kohli proved to everyone why he is known as the best chaser in modern-day cricket. The former India captain scored an astonishing knock of 81 runs off 44 against in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's win against Gujarat Titans in IPL 2026 on Friday, April 24 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Virat Kohli gets praise from Sunil Gavaskar
While chasing 206 in the second innings, Virat Kohli got a lifeline after being dropped by Washington Sundar on 0 in the opening over, a costly mistake as he went on to set the stage for the rest of the RCB batters.
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Reflecting on Kohli's sensational knock, India's batting legend Sunil Gavaskar said that the dropped catch by Washington Sundar cost Gujarat the game.
"That dropped catch of Virat Kohli off Siraj's bowling definitely cost Gujarat Titans a lot. We all know he is not just known as a king. He is known as a chase master as well," said Gavaskar on Star Sports.
Speaking on Kohli's performance, Gavaskar noted that he capitalises on missed opportunities, with his masterclass knock after being dropped on 0 proving the point. He also appreciated Kohli's ability to thrive while chasing big targets.
"You drop him on the first ball, then he will definitely make you pay. That is exactly what he did, Chasing down huge totals with ease has been Virat's trademark batting style throughout his career," concluded Gavaskar.
Next challenge for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026
After securing a great win against GT, RCB will face Delhi Capitals (DC) in their upcoming game in IPL 2026 on Monday, April 27 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Currently the Bengaluru-based side sit at the second position in the standings with 10 points in hand after playing seven matches (5 wins and 2 losses) with a strong net run rate of +1.101.
Virat Kohli's outstanding form in IPL 2026
The star RCB opener is going through a red-hot form in the ongoing IPL 202, with a clear intent to score runs with an attacking approach. Virat has managed to score over 328 runs in just seven games at an average of 54.67 with a great strike rate of 163.18.
The 37-year-old batter has scored three half-centuries in the competition with his highest score of 81 off 44 balls coming against GT. He currently holds the orange cap with Abhishek Sharma sitting at second with 323 runs.