New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s 34-ball 49 led Royal Challengers Bangalore to an easy five-wicket win over Lucknow Supergiants in IPL 2026 with yet another impressive performance. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Chasing 147, RCB cruised home in 15.1 overs, with Kohli once again at the top.Despite the match-winning knock, Kohli made a surprising admission about his physical condition. “Much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. I had a little pain in my knee in the last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now,” he said after the match, adding a stark reflection on his current state: he’s “not even 10 percent” where he wants to be in terms of fitness and well-being.The former India skipper, who was seen training with a heavy bandage on his left knee, hit six fours and a six in another fluent innings to take his tournament tally to 228, putting him in the running for the Orange Cap.‘The intensity was good, but I should have ended it’Kohli said he was happy with his start but admitted that he missed an opportunity to end the chase himself. “I started well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, I would have liked to continue and finish the game,” he said.He also noted the slow nature of the pitch. “Sometimes you have to take the conditions into account. The pitch had slowed down quite a bit and I just wanted to keep going.”Kohli praised RCB captain Rajat Patidar for his clarity and aggression, calling him someone who gauges “the bowler’s heartbeat rather than the situation”, highlighting the team’s fearless batting style. RCB’s depth and adaptability driving paceKohli highlighted the resilience in RCB’s batting unit, crediting the depth provided by players like Romario Shepherd and Tim David. “It looks scary if you’ve got Romario and Tim going after five outs. Those guys can score you 50 in four overs,” he said.Looking ahead, Kohli emphasized adaptation as the key in the second half of the season. “When the pressure is on, that’s when game smarts have to be applied. Whoever adapts best will go far.”
