NEW DELHI: Star batsman Virat Kohli proved he is still at the top of his game with a brilliant unbeaten 69 in IPL 2026 to help Royal Challengers Bengaluru chase down 202 with ease against Sunrisers Hyderabad. His performance impressed many, especially Ambati Rayudu, who believes Kohli is far from retired and still has plenty of cricket left in him.Kohli looked in complete control during the chase, playing stylish strokes including a lofted straight drive and his signature flick for a six. His innings led to strong reactions from former India batsman Rayudu.
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Greenstone Lobo predicts IPL 2026 winner “I don’t think he’s near the end of his career. I think he’s got five or six quality years left in him and as Sanjay (Bangar) and I discussed earlier, he should also be back in Test cricket – hopefully as a captain,” Rayudu told ESPNCricinfo.“We mean it. He is the best red-ball captain I have seen in Indian cricket and the way he is batting now is a loss for Indian cricket,” he added.Kohli retired from Test cricket in 2025.In the match, Hyderabad recovered from a poor start thanks to Ishan Kishan’s quickfire 80 and support from Ankiet Verma to reach 201/9.In reply, Kohli led the charge, supported by Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar. Bengaluru chased down the target in just 15.4 overs, the fastest 200+ chase in IPL history.
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Kohli also achieved a major milestone, becoming the first player to score more than 4000 IPL runs in chases and surpassing Shoaib Malik in the T20 run charts, capping off a memorable night.
