New Delhi: Virat KohliA stunning return to form against Kolkata Knight Riders not only won applause from the fans but also brought a strong message from the IPL. Dwayne Bravo.After Kohli’s unbeaten 105 led Royal Challengers Bangalore to a six-wicket win in Raipur, Bravo went to the RCB dressing room to personally congratulate the former India captain.
In a video later shared by RCB on social media, the KKR mentor was seen hugging Kohli and telling him: “Play as long as you can, the game needs you.”See:The moment quickly went viral among cricket fans, many of whom admired the shared respect between the two biggest names in T20 cricket.Kohli entered the contest under pressure after registering back-to-back ducks, but the veteran batsman responded in trademark fashion. Chasing a challenging 193, he opened the innings with an unbeaten 105 off 60 balls, hitting 11 fours and three sixes. He also put on a crucial 92-run stand with Devdutt Padikal, whose 39 helped stabilize the chase after the opening wicket.The century was Kohli’s ninth in IPL history and another reminder of his unparalleled consistency in chasing runs. His controlled style ensured that RCB reached the target with five balls to spare and climbed to the top of the IPL 2026 points table on net run rate.Earlier, KKR posted a competitive 192/4 thanks to Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s brilliant 71 and a late flourish from Rinku Singh, who remained not out on 49. Cameron Green also scored 32 runs during the middle overs.Despite Karthik Tyagi’s three wickets, KKR could not stop Kohli from chasing the target.For Bravo, who has shared several IPL battles with Kohli over the years, the appreciation was palpable. His message summed up what many in world cricket continue to feel – players like Kohli are rare, and the game is better when he is around.
