RCB vs GT IPL 2026: With 44-ball 81, Virat Kohli inspires Royal Challengers Bengaluru to 5-wicket win

Shubman Gill, the Gujarat Giants captain, speaks.

When asked about the team losing momentum in the first innings with the bat, he says: "Yeah definitely. From 16th till 19th overs, those 3 overs we didn't get any boundaries and those were crucial for us. At the end of the powerplay we were in a good position but we were unable to take wickets."

Talking about Kohli being dropped on his first ball when batting on zero, Gill said: "When a batsman gets dropped on nought, it's tough on the fielder, but it's important how you come back."

He continues: "We had our moments. I think they batted brilliantly in the middle-overs. When I was batting, when Krunal bowled, it was gripping and I wanted to take my chances."

Talking about Sai Sudharsan's innings, Gill says: "He was quite upset how he got out in the last two games and I hope he gives more strike to me in the powerplay in the next game."

The young Manav Suthar is handed the 18th over with just 22 runs needed off 18 balls. And Krunal Pandya makes Gujarat pay by scoring 15 runs. First two balls are hit for fours and then after two dot balls, a massive six!

RCB need seven runs now of 12 balls

Bengaluru captain Patidar departs for eight after trying to take on Manav Suthar and top edging the ball. Washington Sundar takes a good running catch.

Rajat Patidar c Washington Sundar b Suthar 8 (5b 0x4 1x6) SR: 160

Royal Challengers Bengaluru have gone from 154/2 to 173/5, a slump that started with Kohli's wicket.

Last 17 balls, RCB were 32/4

RCB need 33 off 27 runs now as we have a time out. Krunal Pandya and Tim David are in the middle now.

SIX, SIX, WICKET!

Virat Kohli departs for a 44-ball 81 after chopping a slower ball on to his stumps from Jason Holder. RCB need 52 runs from 38 balls when Kohli departs, but he's not happy at how he lost his wicket, especially after hitting the previous two balls for unbelievable sixes, one over long on and another over the bowler's head.

Virat Kohli b Holder 81 (44b 8x4 4x6) SR: 184.09

And now, we have two new batters out in the middle after the two half centurions departed in a space of six balls.

50 runs in the last 20 balls for RCB as the Kohli-Padikkal partnership strolls past the 100-run mark. They're treating premier bowlers like Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada and Prasidh Krishna with absolute disdain here.

After hitting Krishna for 19 runs in the 9th over, they smashed Rashid for 16 in the 10th. By that standard, the 13 runs that came off the 11th over seem like a good return for Kagiso Rabada. But the six and a four that Kohli hit off his over were imperious!

After 11 overs, RCB are 131/1

Heat turned on Prasidh Krishna by Padikkal. 19 runs in that over from the bowling of a man chasing the Purple Cap. Second ball hit for four, third ball and sixth ball for sixes.

Just punishing the bowlers.

Two imperious boundaries to the offside in that seventh over from Kohli, who looks in the mood to make Gujarat Titans pay for dropping him on zero. The first one dispatched to deep extra cover and the second one was adjusted and placed to the ropes at backward point. Even when he's being forced to adjust, he makes it look like it's part of the plan.

RCB are 70/1 in seven overs, very much on pace to chase down this target of 206. Gujarat Titans were 61/0 at this stage.

Kohli batting on 33 from 20.

Devdutt Padikkal, whose role in this RCB seems to be to up the ante, has come out swinging after hitting a magnificent six on his first ball itself, he smashes a six and a four in that Siraj over. Four dot balls in the middle, but RCB won't mind that as long as they can bookend overs with hits to the fence.

After 5 overs, RCB are 50/1 in chase of 206

After that drop catch of Kohli in the first over, Jacob Bethell could have been out on the first ball of the second over when he gets a thick inside edge off a vicious ball from Kagiso Rabada, but the ball flies away from Jos Buttler's diving hand.

And as soon as Kohli comes on strike, he smashes his first ball off Rabada's over for a four over the mid on fielder! Just a couple of steps away from the stumps and the slap across the face of the ball.

Rabada responds with a ball that flies past Kohli's bat.

After 2 overs, RCB are 15/0

So Rasikh Dar is handed the ball for the final over and before he can deliver a ball, he pulls up and after a delay, he walks off the pitch possibly due to cramps. So Rajat Patidar hands the ball to Krunal Pandya. The first ball is smashed by Jason Holder for a maximum! Pandya recovers well with a second ball that's a speeding yorker that just sneaks inside the line. But he seems to pull a muscle near his groin while bowling the second ball.

And then, just before he can bowl the third ball, he pulls up and the physio comes out again to tend to a second spinner.

After another delay, Pandya is fine to bowl.

Holder smokes the next two balls for a six and a four.

Gujarat Titans end the night with 205/3 with 18 runs in the final over and two niggles to two RCB bowlers in the span of six overs

Another down for Gujarat as Buttler departs while trying to floor the accelerator after a four-run over in the 17th.

Bhuvi picks up his first wicket of the day before ending his quota of four overs with 31 runs against his name.

Jos Buttler c Hazlewood b Kumar 25 (16b 2x4 1x6) SR: 156.25

A CENTURY FOR SAI SUDHARSAN!

After hogging the strike at the start of the innings, Gujarat Titans' Sai Sudharsan scores a 57-ball century at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. And just after Sai gets to his century, it's Jos Buttler who starts attacking the bowlers.

Gujarat Titans are 155/1 in 15 overs

An interesting interview there with Parthiv Patel who sits in the Gujarat Titans dugout as part of the coaching staff. He calls the surface a little difficult to decipher and bat on and says they are not sure what a par score here is.

Gujarat Titans opening batters are meanwhile, setting the side up for a big total after scoring at a run rate of 10.

Gujarat are 121/0 after 12 overs.

Romario Shepherd undoes all the good work of the previous over from Krunal Pandya! 17 runs coming from that over as Sai Sudharsan gets to his half century in 33 balls with a scooped hit for six. On the next ball, he tonks the ball for a boundary. Takes a single and Shubman Gill then pulls the ball for another boundary at cow corner.

Second fifty of the season for Sai.

After 8 overs, Gujarat are 78/0

Finally, Shubman Gill's bat gets some facetime with the ball too. And he plays an uncharacteristically inelegant hits to the fence. Sai meanwhile is marching towards the half century.

Sai Sudharsan, with a little help from Shubman Gill, drags Gujarat Titans to 57/0 at the end of powerplay.

After four overs, Shubman Gill has played all of three balls. it's Sai Sudharsan who's doing all the batting at the moment, and you can see him starting to find his range. He again hit two fours in that over, with the second shot to the four being an impressive shot to deep point! Imperious shot that one!

After four overs, Gujarat Titans are 31/0 with the fourth over being their best one with 11 runs.

Sai has faced 21 balls for his 24. Shubman, just three balls for his two runs.

Hazlewood handed the ball first the second over. Raps Sai Sudharsan on the pads first ball. Loud shout, but not given becuase of the height. The whole stadium went up in appeal.

Second ball gives some width, which Sai tries to slash away, but misses completely. The next ball is rising and aimed at Sai's body which he tries to hook. Cannot get hold of it, but steals two runs away.

What an over from Hazlewood. Just four runs in that.

Gujarat Titans are 11/0 after 2 overs.

Sai Sudharsan facing the first ball with Shubman Gill at the other end. Bhuvneshwar Kumar handed the ball.

Here we go!

Royal Challengers Bengaluru XI for the first innings: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 Rajat Patidar (capt), 4 Tim David, 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Romario Shepherd, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Suyash Sharma, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Rasikh Dar

Impact Player options for RCB: Jacob Bethell, Jordan Cox, Mangesh Yadav, Vicky Ostwal, Venkatesh Iyer

Rajat Patidar spins the coin. Shubman Gill calls tails. It's heads! Patidar picks bowling. So Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan coming out with the bat soon!

Phil Salt is injured so Bethell will play, Patidar says.

Jason Holder and Manav Suthar in Gujarat XI.

The Gujarat Titans were on a three-game winning streak when they ran into a down-in-the-dumps Mumbai Indians in their previous game and lost! Titans come into today's game hoping to get back to winning ways.

The man to watch out for in today's clash is Gujarat Titans captain Shubman Gill.

The opener has enjoyed batting against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium since 2023. In three innings at the venue against RCB, Gill has scored 120 runs at a striking rate of 164.4, averaging a commanding 60.

Coming into the game, Gill is also chasing the Orange Cap, having scored 265 runs in five innings so far.