Royal Challengers Bengaluru vs Kolkata Knight Riders — Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 6 wickets (with 5 balls remaining)

Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 6 wickets (with 5 balls remaining). A Virat Kohli masterclass lit up Raipur as RCB moved clear at the top of the IPL 2026 table, while KKR slipped to a sixth defeat in nine matches and find themselves staring down an early exit.

This was the 57th match of 74 in the IPL 2026 regular season. RCB, who won the toss and elected to bowl, were chasing 193 – and rarely looked like they would come up short once Kohli got going.

First Innings – KKR Post 192/4

KKR lost Finn Allen early when he was caught trying to go over the top for 18 off 8 (SR 225) with the score at 23 in over 2.3. Ajinkya Rahane followed for 19 off 13 at 48/2 in over 4.4, caught off Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The top order had flickered without igniting.

Cameron Green stabilised with a measured 32 off 24, but was clean bowled by Rasikh Salam Dar at 116/3 in over 12.2. That brought Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Rinku Singh together for the crucial fourth-wicket partnership. Raghuvanshi played freely for 71 off 46 (7 fours, 3 sixes, SR 154) before being run out in the final over at 192, and Rinku closed things out with an unbeaten 49 off 29 (3 fours, 2 sixes, SR 169) to push KKR to a competitive 192/4.

RCB’s attack was functional rather than dominant. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4-0-34-1), Josh Hazlewood (4-0-35-1) and Rasikh Salam Dar (4-0-35-1) all chipped in with a wicket each, but Jacob Duffy was the weak link, conceding 48 off 4 wicketless overs.

Second Innings – RCB Chase Down 193

Jacob Bethell fell for 15 off 12 in the third over, caught at 37/1. But Virat Kohli was already in full flow, and the match was effectively over once he found his range.

Devdutt Padikkal provided ideal support – 39 off 27 (7 fours, SR 144) before being caught at 129/2 in over 13.1. Rajat Patidar came and went quickly for 11 (129 became 157/3 in over 15.6), and Tim David made just 2 before Kartik Tyagi had him caught at 180/4 in over 17.5.

None of that mattered. Kohli was still there and Jitesh Sharma calmly hit the winning runs. RCB crossed the line at 194/4 in 19.1 overs, winning with 5 balls to spare.

Kartik Tyagi was KKR’s only real threat with the ball – 3/32 off 4 overs (Econ 8.00). Sunil Narine kept it tight at 4-0-31-1 (Econ 7.75). The rest – Vaibhav Arora (0/48), Anukul Roy (0/36 with 6 wides) – were expensive and ineffective.

Statz MVP – Virat Kohli (106.31)

Virat Kohli is the Statz MVP with a rating of 106.31 – the headline number from Statz’s formula, which calculates impact based on match context. 105 not out off 60 balls (11 fours, 3 sixes, SR 175) in a successful run chase will do that.

For once, Statz and the official scorers are in full agreement – Kohli is also the official Man of the Match. No argument here.

Top 5 Statz Ratings

Kohli’s century in a chase is the obvious standout. Tyagi earns second with a sharp 3/32 – the best return from any bowler in the match. Raghuvanshi’s 71 was the glue in KKR’s innings despite being run out at the death. Rinku’s unbeaten 49 kept the total competitive. Allen’s 18 off 8 at the top was eye-catching for a brief moment.

Turning Point

The key dismissal: Cameron Green, bowled Rasikh Salam Dar, over 12.2, score 116/3. Green had been working KKR towards a bigger total – 32 off 24 is decent but not match-winning. Losing him in the 13th over left Raghuvanshi and Rinku to do the heavy lifting in the back half. They got KKR to 192, which looked competitive but proved a fraction short against a Kohli century.

Match Context

Royal Challengers Bengaluru sit 1st in the IPL 2026 table with 16 points from 12 games (W8 L4, NRR +1.034). They share points with Gujarat Titans in second but lead on NRR. This win puts them in pole position for a playoff spot with 5 matches remaining – barring a dramatic collapse, they are going through.

Kolkata Knight Riders sit 8th with 9 points from 11 games (W4 L6, NR1, NRR -0.198). Back-to-back losses have left them needing something close to a perfect run-in and results elsewhere to go their way. The defending champions are in serious trouble.

Full scorecard: RCB vs KKR – IPL 2026 Scorecard