Virat Kohli returned to form with his ninth IPL century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in their IPL 2026 match at Raipur on Wednesday. Chasing 193, RCB reached the target with five balls to spare, Kohli scoring an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls.Coming into the match after two consecutive zeroes, Kohli looked in control from the start. He celebrated with a fist pump after getting off the mark and quickly shifted gears by hitting four fours in one over off Vibhu Arora. He attacked both pace and spin throughout the innings and ensured that the required rate remained in check throughout the chase.Kohli completed his fifty off 32 balls and shared a crucial 92-run partnership with Devdutt Padikal, who scored 39 off 27 balls with seven fours. Kohli later completed his century off a ball from Arora, registering his ninth IPL century, the most by any batsman in the history of the tournament. Jos Buttler is second on the list with seven centuries.Most Centuries in IPL
- 9 – Virat Kohli*
- 7 – Jos Buttler
- 6 – Chris Gayle
- 6 – KL Rahul
- 5 – Sanju Samson
The win took RCB to the top of the points table, and moved above the Gujarat Titans. After the conclusion, there was celebration in the RCB camp as the team saw their senior batsman return to form in a crucial game.The match was delayed by 75 minutes due to rain and a wet outfield, but the Raipur crowd stayed behind and witnessed a high-scoring contest.Earlier, Angkrish Raghunshi played the best innings of his IPL career to guide KKR to 192 for four. Batting at number 3, the 21-year-old scored 71 runs off 46 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes. It was his fourth half-century of the season.KKR got off to a shaky start after being asked to bat first. Ajinkya Rahane managed just 19, while Finn Allen made 18 off eight balls, before Bhuvneshwar Kumar caught him back. Josh Hazlewood then dismissed Rahane on a short ball after the KKR skipper attacked Jacob Duffy in the previous over.At 56 for two after the powerplay, Raghuvanshi rebuilt the innings. He added 68 runs with Cameron Green, who scored 32 off 24 balls, and then put on a 76-run partnership with Rinku Singh.Raghuvanshi mixed caution with aggressive stroke play. He hit a regular boundary on the offside, played a powerful short-arm pull over Duffy and hit Colonel Pandya over the ropes for a six. He also bowled a slow delivery from Rasukh Salam straight over the bowler’s head. His innings ended with a run out on the last ball of the innings.Ranko Singh remained unbeaten on 49 off 29 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes. He fell short of his fifty by one run but helped KKR finish strongly.Short Score:Kolkata Knight Riders: 192 for 4 in 20 overs (Angkresh Raghuvanshi 71, Cameron Green 32, Rinku Singh 49; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1/34).Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 194 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Virat Kohli 105 not out, Devdutt Padikal 39; Karthik Tyagi 3/32).
