It’s not often that a T20 innings finds its defining passage in the first few overs, but Gujarat Titans versus Royal Challengers Bengaluru created just that in Ahmedabad. The contest may not have turned into the kind of thriller that many expected, but it still offered a thrilling powerplay as Virat Kohli and Kagiso Rabada squared off in the first innings.
GT vs RCB: HIGHLIGHTS | SCORECARD
For a brief stretch, the game narrowed down to a contest between two of the best in the business. Kohli, still among the most influential batsmen in the IPL, took the responsibility of setting the pace early. Rabada, one of the best fast bowlers of his generation, was tasked with troubling him with pace, bounce and hard lengths. In the space of two overs, both men landed significant blows and the innings shifted around them.
This battle gave the match its sharpest charge.
THE KOHLI RECEIVED THE FIRST BLOWS
Royal Challengers Bengaluru were without Phil Salt, the natural aggressor in their opening pair. His absence has shifted the onus of early pace to Kohli, who is more often seen as the anchor at the top of the order. With Jacob Bethell struggling to find a rhythm, Kohli took it upon himself to force the pace and ensure that RCB did not go through the power play.
The statement came immediately.
Kohli took five boundaries off Rabad’s opener and set the tone for RCB’s start. It was the kind of explosion that immediately changed the face of the competition. Rabada came with a clear plan and wanted to hit the hard lengths that have become such a reliable method with the new ball, but Kohli soon read it and went for the counter.
Rabada’s first over went into the region where Kohli was ready to attack. The lengths were slightly short and close enough outside the off-stump for Kohli to free his hands. Once he recognized this pattern, he did not allow Rabada to settle. He trusted his hands, used the pace on offer and made sure RCB’s scoring rate stayed ahead of the game.
Cheteshwar Pujara, speaking on JioHotstar’s post-match show, summed up the opening exchange vividly.
“Virat started by hitting five boundaries,” Pujara said. “On the very first delivery, he played a powerful pull shot, then cleared the middle and then came that great cover drive. He moved to the back foot again to play that amazing cover drive that Virat is famous for.”
The turn-based game method stood out as much as the borders themselves. Kohli remained proactive with the field, making clever use of creases and hitting lengths before Gujarat’s quicks could get into a rhythm. He set the terms of the exchange and quickly put Gujarat’s lead on the back foot.
That pressure carried over into the next over as well. Kohli attacked Mohammed Siraj and found the boundary again, stressing that the intent was not limited to one over or one over. RCB took the initiative for a short stretch and Kohli forced Gujarat’s attack out with the new ball on the back foot.
RABADA DELIVERED THE ANSWER
What made the contest stand out was Rabada’s response.
After the early penalty, he did not rush a dramatic change of plan. He made a precise adjustment and supported it.
Cheteshwar Pujara pointed to the correction that turned the duel around.
“In the first over, the bowling was a bit short and off-stump,” Pujara said. “But in the second over, Rabada changed his line completely. The ball in front of the wicket was on the stumps and then came the back ball which angled in. Virat was caught because of the extra bounce that Rabada created.
This change was enough to change the duel.
In the first over, Rabada operated around the fourth and fifth row of stumps, offering Kohli enough space to access his scoring areas. In the next, he brought Kohli closer to the stumps and tightened the margin for an error. The fix was subtle but decisive. By going straighter and then hitting a hard length again, Rabad forced Kohli into a very different stroke.
Kohli once again advanced and tried to keep the pressure on, but this time Rabada changed the question. The next bounce sped him up, the timing wasn’t so clean and a poorly timed strike brought the breakthrough Gujarat needed.
Pujara called it the clearest sign of elite players adapting in real time. Kohli read the first move and attacked with conviction. Rabada absorbed the pressure, recalibrated and found the response expected of a fast bowler of his class.
“It was a great comeback,” Pujara said. “Virat got off to a great start but Rabada responded with an equally impressive comeback.
In the space of two overs, Ahmedabad got a reminder of what top-class T20 cricket can still look like. Kohli struck the first blows. Rabada added the decider.
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Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
May 1, 2026 07:38 IST
