IPL 2026: Virat Kohli says he is enjoying cricket after record century against KKR
Virat Kohli’s record-breaking night against Kolkata Knight Riders was full of milestones, but his words after the match were what really stood out. After scoring the match-winning century in Raipur, the RCB star admitted that he is no longer obsessed with records and is instead trying to enjoy every moment he has left in cricket.
Kohli leads Royal Challengers Bangalore to six-wicket win over KKR With a sensational inning of 105 not out in 60 balls, helped RCB reach the top again IPL 2026 mark sheet. With this inning, he also became the fastest batsman to score 14,000 T20 runs, surpassing Chris Gayle, and also became the most capped player in IPL history with his 279th appearance in the tournament. Speaking at the post-match presentation, Kohli explained how his relationship with the game has changed at this stage of his career.
RCB vs KKR: highlighted | Achievement:
Kohli said after the win, “Well, despite all this, I still like to bat. That is my basic feeling.”
“What an honor it is to play at this level. What an honor to still compete with the best players in the world. That’s what I’ve done my whole life. Cricket is just something I really love.”
The 37-year-old, who has already retired from T20I and Test cricket, also admitted that the end of his playing career is not far off. While talks continue about the possibility of leading India in the 2027 ODI World Cup, Kohli admitted that he now looks at the game with far more gratitude than with the pressure of numbers or milestones.
“And I put my heart and soul on the field, whether I’m fielding or batting, because it’s going to end one day,” Kohli said.
“And I want to make the most of every day I have on the field and just enjoy myself and have a lot of fun and look forward to the pressure situations.”
The century also came at a personally important moment for Kohli.
Before the KKR game, RCB openers Had moved to Raipur under pressure after registering back-to-back ducks Against Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians. In those two innings, Kohli had faced only three balls combined, something that became the biggest talking point around RCB despite the team’s consecutive wins.
However, against KKR, Kohli responded in a classic style.
They survived an early scare when Rovman Powell dropped them for 21, but Kolkata paid a heavy price for the missed opportunity. Kohli brought up his half-century in just 32 balls before taking complete control of the chase with Devdutt Padikkal helping maintain the pace in the middle overs.
The RCB star finally brought up his century in the final over with a single off Vaibhav Arora, before Jitesh Sharma completed the chase in style.
How Virat Kohli turned pressure into a century
Kohli admitted after the match that the brief lean patch had really helped him focus again in the KKR encounter.
“When you look back, those failures are very important because they take you back to where you were before and it doesn’t stop you from performing at your best,” Kohli said.
“So I guess that’s why people say pressure is a privilege. And of course, I was nervous. I just wanted to get out in goal and just celebrate and have a little fun out there.”
That celebration itself became a moment of the night.
After taking the first run of the innings, Kohli punched the air, laughed at himself and soaked in the thunderous roar of the Raipur crowd after avoiding an unwanted hat-trick of ducks.
From there the innings got bigger.
Kohli’s unbeaten 105 not only ended the ongoing discussion about his form but also reminded everyone why he remains one of the defining batsmen of the IPL even at the age of 37.
RCB vs KKR: Playoff race intensifies
Reigning champions RCB reached the top of the IPL 2026 points table thanks to Kohli’s unbeaten century. Bengaluru now have 16 points and are making a strong bid to finish in the top two by the end of the season, although qualification is not yet mathematically decided.
Meanwhile, KKR suffered a major setback in their quest for qualification despite scoring a strong score of 192 for four on the back of Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s career-best 71 off 46 balls.
Their four-match winning streak ended in Raipur and their playoff hopes are now in danger. Even if Kolkata wins all its remaining matches, it may only have 15 points, which may still not be enough depending on other results.
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