Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru began their IPL 2026 campaign on a winning note on Saturday, defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by six wickets in the season opener. Opener Virat Kohli put in a dominant show, as RCB successfully chased down a target of 202 runs.
The former RCB skipper smacked an unbeaten knock of 69* runs off 38 balls, packed with five fours and five sixes, at a strike rate of 181.58. He was there till the end as RCB reached 203/4 in 15.4 overs.
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Speaking on Cricbuzz, former India cricketer Zaheer Khan praised Kohli’s performance in the run chase. “I think RCB and Virat will be very happy for batting through the chase. Kohli batted at 180 SR, the others around him batted at 220–250 SR. It just shows the kind of strength that RCB have. The players around him are able to bat with freedom because they know that, more often than not, they will get a fifty at a very high strike rate from him. This allows the others to attack more freely,” he said.
“Devdutt Padikkal has given a trailer for the season. Rajat Patidar does not let the momentum drop in the middle overs, and that gives us an idea of the brand of cricket that RCB are trying to play. And Virat Kohli is a very important cog in that wheel for RCB,” he added.
Reacting to Zaheer’s observation, Murali Karthik agreed with his stance on Kohli.
“Virat Kohli is a Grand Master in chasing. He is plotting the wins. He knows when to step on the pedal and when to take the foot off it. It is incredible, seriously, and he has done it for so many years. Teams must have been plotting against him for years, but he is so sharp that they are simply not able to contain him,” he said.
