Kohli and the nation rejoiced with joy on social media. As soon as cricket returned to Bengaluru on Saturday after a difficult yearThe city’s adopted son came and put on a show, offering a semblance of normalcy at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.

69 runs on 38 balls. A soaring drive of rare, shimmering quality, even by Virat Kohli’s stratospheric standards. There were animated celebrations, fiery farewells, a dropped catch and another chasing clinic. While they walked away with silverware after the clinical wicket of Jacob Duffy and an early blitz from Devdutt Padikkal, it was Kohli, working at his self-proclaimed 120 per cent, who dominated the lens and ensured that the fans got a full return on their emotional investment.

Read the full story

| RCB vs SRH: Achievement: – highlight |

The face of the IPL’s most valuable franchise once again demonstrated why rivals with some playing experience are seeing him in full flow at Chinnaswamy.

“My ear almost burst,” said Dale Steyn, who was near the dugout when the crowd erupted after seeing Kohli coming out for the toss. Kohli looked simultaneously battle-ready and comfortable, echoing the supporters who had waited 12 months to see him in the red at RCB.

From the first delivery, he was on. Despite his return to competitive cricket after a two-month sabbatical, there was no sign of rust.

After years as India’s all-format engine room, carrying the weight of a relentless global schedule, Kohli has entered a new, more selective chapter. And he seems to be relishing it. After moving away from the rigors of Test and T20 International cricket, the 36-year-old is managing a sophisticated workload and focusing his international energies on ODIs. The extra breathing room has allowed him to readjust physically and mentally.

When he arrived for India’s 2025-26 season a few months ago, the results were surgical: three centuries in nine matches, a cold reminder of his enduring class.
Was there a danger of him arriving half-baked in the new IPL season? For a man who regarded preparation with the sacredness of a ritual, this was never a realistic concern. He came 120 percent prepared.

“You know, the kind of schedule we’ve had over the last 15 years, and the amount of cricket I’ve played, there was always a risk for me of being tired rather than half-baked. So these breaks have helped me a lot,” he told broadcasters after anchoring his match-winning 69. RCB chased 202 runs in just 15.4 overs.

“I stay fresh, stay excited. Whenever I come back to play, it’s 120 per cent. I’m not coming back with less preparation. In fact, the extra rest helps me stay fresh mentally. As long as you’re physically fit and you’re mentally excited, these two things come together well, and then you’re able to contribute for the team. That’s what you want to do as a player – you’re at some position. But you don’t want to stay, you want to stay, perform and keep working for the team.”

remember virat

As New Zealand’s stalwart Jacob Duffy dismantled the Sunrisers’ top order, Kohli watched with obvious delight. At one point, he almost attracted the umpire’s attention by giving a particularly forceful message to Travis Head.

Kohli does not forget.

It was Head who systematically demolished RCB last time out in Bengaluru 2024 by scoring 102 runs in 41 balls. When the Australians got out cheaply on Saturday, Kohli made sure the dismissal was done properly.

For most of the first innings, Kohli was deployed in the depth, giving the new players a chance to shine. Phil Salt, a wicketkeeper by profession but a livewire in the outfield, patrolled the boundary with the kind of athleticism that evoked memories of a young Brendon McCullum. To dismiss Ishan Kishan, who had revived the Sunrisers’ innings with a quickfire 80 after being reduced to 29 for 3. Salt took a brilliant catch from the airEarly contender for best of the season.

The spotlight was back on Kohli when he grassed a sitter to remove lower-order batsman Aniket Verma in what was a regulation chance. Fortunately for the RCB talisman, the mistake proved to be inconsequential.

Did the fall affect Kohli who came to bat after crossing the rope? Not even a bit.

play second fiddle

He was content to play second fiddle early on as Devdutt Padikkal, promoted to No. 3, made consistent attacks on the stands with ease. Kohli sat quietly at the end of the fourth over with 7 runs in 6 balls, but he closed the gap by thrashing a length ball from Jaydev Unadkat into the midwicket tier for his first maximum, followed by a quick surgical boundary.

Kohli understood that he did not need to be the sole hero of the evening. He gave Padikkal a chance to dominate. Even after the young left-hander was dismissed for 61 off 26 balls, Kohli avoided Rajat Patidar, who came in a destructive mood. Patidar’s knock of 31 off just 12 balls ensured that the chase only went in one direction – fast towards the finish line.

Yet, even in a supporting role, Kohli ensured that he owned the aesthetic charm of the night.

Tournament shot?

In the seventh over, he produced the best shot of the tournament, a lofted drive off a fuller ball from Ehsaan Malinga that cleared long-off. The entire face of the blade was presented like a calling card; It was smooth, accurate and a perfect economy of motion.

Then came the wrists. Facing his former teammate Harshal Patel, Kohli smashed a ball into the stands with a dismissive roll of the forearms. How do you set the fields for that? Why resort to the frenetic world of ramps and reverse-sweeps when your wrists can do the heavy lifting?

Kohli later admitted that he was relying only on his muscle memory.

He said, “I wasn’t playing shots that I don’t normally play. So I knew as long as I have the rhythm and I’ve done enough work physically behind the scenes with my fitness, things should go well. Tonight was another chance to start strong.”

RCB lost both Patidar and Jitesh Sharma on consecutive balls in the 13th over. While the asking rate was firmly under control, Kohli ensured there was no oxygen for panic. When the final moment came, he won in emphatic fashion by dismissing Harshal with three fours and a six in the 16th over.

He graced the evening by giving his wife Anushka Sharma a flying kiss in the audience gallery – a gesture which was returned with equal warmth. The king had returned to his counting house, his home away from home.

It may not have been the perfect preparation for the return of IPL cricket in Bengaluru, but Virat Kohli made sure the night was his, and normal service well and truly resumed in his world.

ipl 2026 | ipl schedule | ipl points table | ipl video | cricket news | live score

– ends