Virat Kohli finally had a reason to smile again in IPL 2026 and Raipur absolutely loved the moment. After heading into Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s crucial clash against Kolkata Knight Riders with back-to-back ducks, Kohli broke the streak in dramatic fashion, celebrating his first run as if a huge weight had just been lifted off his shoulders.
The RCB opener punched the air, laughed to himself and soaked up the roar from the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium after avoiding what would have been an unwanted hat-trick of ducks.
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The seasoned batsman started the season in great rhythm and quickly became one of RCB’s most reliable players. Ahead of the KKR game, Kohli had scored 379 runs in 11 matches and stitched nine consecutive double-figure scores, anchoring several important wins for Bengaluru.
But the conversation around his form suddenly changed after the Lucknow Super Giants game.
since Kohli registered back-to-back ducks while facing just three deliveries combined across those innings. For a batter whose consistency is usually unmatched in the IPL, the short slump naturally became a major talking point heading into the KKR game.
Against Kolkata, however, Kohli wasted no time in ending the chatter.
Kohli, who opened alongside Jacob Bethell in a tricky chase of 193, initially looked much more composed and positive as RCB attacked strongly during the powerplay. More importantly, he looked visibly relieved once he finally got off the mark.
VIRAT KOHLI AVOIDS A DUCK HATTRIK
Kohli’s animated celebration after the first run quickly became one of the highlights of the night.
The RCB star punched the air and burst into laughter as the Raipur crowd erupted around him. It was almost as if Kohli himself acknowledged how unusual the last two games had been.
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Kohli has reacted similarly after ending a short duck streak. He celebrated in much the same way during India’s ODI tour of Australia earlier this year after breaking another two-match scoreless run.
The night also marked a big personal milestone for Kohli.
The former RCB captain became the most limited-overs player in IPL history during the encounter, making his 279th appearance in the tournament, surpassing MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma, who previously shared the record with 278 matches.
With the amount of discussion surrounding his form ahead of the match, Kohli would be particularly relieved that his landmark was not overshadowed by another early dismissal.
For someone who has spent nearly two decades carrying expectations in every single game, even a single run clearly felt worth celebrating.
RCB VS KKR: BIG PLAYOFF PRESSURE IN RAIPUR
The clash itself had huge playoff implications for both teams.
KKR went into the game needing a win to keep their play-off hopes alive after reviving their campaign with four straight wins. Angkrish Raghuvanshi once again started for Kolkata with a career-best 71 off 46 balls, hitting seven boundaries and three sixes to guide KKR to 192 for four in the rain-delayed encounter.
The young batsman put together important partnerships through the innings and helped Kolkata make a strong recovery after a relatively slow start from the opening rounds.
RCB, meanwhile, entered the match at the top of the table knowing that another win would move them even closer to a play-off berth and potentially a top-two finish.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
13 May 2026 23:07 IST
