Virat Kohli (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)
New Delhi: Drop Virat Kohli at your own risk – that warning was effectively delivered to the Gujarat Titans when they snuffed out the superstar in the first match of their IPL 2026 match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday.
Kohli was given a reprieve when he was dropped by Washington Sundar off Mohammed Siraj in the opening of RCB’s innings, and the missed opportunity proved costly.Kohli went on to smash 81 off 44 balls, leading RCB to a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans.Speaking on Star Sports, legendary Sunil Gavaskar analyzed the crucial moment in RCB’s successful run chase, citing Kohli’s early drop as the crucial turning point.“Droping Virat Kohli off Siraj’s bowling definitely cost the Gujarat Titans a lot,” Gavaskar said.“We all know that he is not only known as the king. He is also known as the master of the chase,” Gavaskar said.“If you drop him on the first ball, he will definitely make you pay. And that’s exactly what he did,” he said.He also emphasized Kohli’s reputation as one of the best chasers in the game. “Chasing huge totals with ease has been Virat’s signature batting style throughout his career,” Gavaskar said.The former India captain also noted that GT might regret the missed opportunity given the circumstances of the match.
“At one point… the ball was a little tight. It wasn’t that easy when the ball got a little older,” he noted.
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Concluding his analysis, Gavaskar praised Kohli’s consistency and level of performance under pressure. “This guy is one of the greatest players in the game. He made it look easy,” he said.Gavaskar also praised Devdutt Padikkal for his improvement in IPL 2026, particularly his expanded range of scoring options which has boosted RCB’s top order.“Divdutt Padikkal played an excellent innings. Virat Kohli rightly pointed out after the match that Padikkal was playing some very clean cricket shots. Earlier, he was seen as an offside player. His main scoring areas were cover and mid-on. He used to struggle in the side. But now he has overcome that limitation.”“He hits sixes and boundaries behind square as well. This increases RCB’s batting power,” Gavaskar added.
They have Devdutt at number three and captain Rajat Patidar at number four. Both can hit sixes off the first ball. This makes a big difference for RCB at the moment.”Chasing 206, RCB suffered an early setback when GT’s Mohammed Siraj dismissed opener Jacob Bethell, reducing them to 26/1 in three overs. However, the higher order responded forcefully. Kohli led the attack with a fluent 81 off 44 balls, while Padikkal supported him superbly with 55 off 27 quick deliveries.The duo ensured that the required rate remained under control, as they compiled a 115-run stand in just 59 balls.After being dismissed in quick succession, the match intensified in the middle with Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar picking up crucial wickets, leaving RCB at 175/5 after 16 overs.RCB then wobbled briefly with the dismissals of Rajat Patidar (8) and Jitesh Sharma (10), leaving 31 runs needed from the last four. But Krunal Pandya (23 off 12 unbeaten) stepped up under pressure to turn the score around.Krunal took charge of GT’s attack, smashing a 15-run in the 18th over to decisively swing the momentum RCB’s way, while Tim David struck an unbeaten 10 off his last nine balls.He ended the chase in the 19th over, channeling a short ball from Jason Holder to deep square leg for a single as RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs, sealing a five-wicket and two-wicket victory.With this victory, RCB rose to second place in the 2026 Indian Premier League table with 10 points from seven matches, with five wins and two losses.