Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) continued their impressive run in IPL 2026 with a clinical five-wicket victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. While the win pushed RCB to the top of the points table, it was Virat Kohli‘s honest admission about his fitness that grabbed attention after the match.
RCB’s bowlers set the tone early
RCB’s dominance began with a disciplined bowling performance that restricted LSG to a modest total of 147. The Men in Red executed their plans to perfection, exploiting the conditions effectively. Rasikh Salam emerged as the standout performer, picking up four key wickets and dismantling the middle order. He was well supported by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who scalped three wickets with his trademark swing and control. Krunal Pandya chipped in with two crucial breakthroughs, while Josh Hazlewood maintained pressure from one end with tight lines.
The collective effort ensured that LSG never gained momentum, with wickets falling at regular intervals. RCB’s bowlers combined aggression with accuracy, making the chase far more manageable.
Virat Kohli leads the chase with composed knock
Chasing 148, RCB approached the target with calm intent. At the heart of the chase was Kohli, who played a fluent knock of 49 runs, anchoring the innings with his experience and composure. Kohli found support from Rajat Patidar, who contributed a handy 27, and Jitesh Sharma, who added a quickfire 23 to keep the momentum intact. The chase never looked in doubt as RCB maintained control throughout the innings, eventually sealing the win with ease.
Although Kohli fell just short of a half-century, his innings played a decisive role in shaping the outcome. His ability to rotate strike and find boundaries at key moments ensured there were no hiccups in the chase.
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Kohli opens up on fitness concerns
Despite his match-winning contribution, Kohli revealed that he is still dealing with fitness issues. Speaking after the game, the RCB stalwart admitted that he has been struggling physically over the past few days.
He shared that his knee had been sore in the previous match and that he had also been feeling unwell recently. However, he expressed satisfaction with how he performed against LSG, particularly with his intensity and start at the crease. Kohli also mentioned that while he was pleased with his effort, he would have preferred to stay till the end and finish the game himself—highlighting his ever-present hunger for perfection.
“(How did tonight feel?) Much better than the last game. I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore last game. Even health-wise, I’ve been under the weather for four or five days now. So, just getting back up to my best. I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off,” said Kohli while talking to broadcasters after the game.
