IPL 2026: Kohli and RCB Roar Back, Royals Stumble, and the Race for Playoffs Gets Serious

At the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Friday evening, Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down 206 against Gujarat Titans in 18.5 overs, winning by five wickets. It was a high-scoring game on a flat pitch under warm, partly cloudy conditions. But the number that mattered most? Kohli's 81 off 44 balls, stitched together with Devdutt Padikkal's blistering 55 off 27 balls.

RCB vs GT (Match 34, April 24, Chinnaswamy Stadium)

First Innings — Gujarat Titans: 205/3 in 20 overs

Sai Sudharsan walked into bat and didn't look back. The young Gujarat opener scored an unbeaten 100 off 58 balls — 11 fours, 5 sixes, strike rate of 172.41. It was his statement innings for the season, and it dragged GT to a competitive total when the powerplay hadn't gone quite their way.

Shubman Gill, the GT captain, contributed 32 before being caught. Jos Buttler came in at number three and made a brisk 25. Washington Sundar (19 off 12) and Jason Holder (23 off 10 balls, strike rate of 230) added crucial late runs. The innings ended at 205/3 — a total that looked imposing on paper.

For RCB, the bowling was spread around. Bhuvneshwar Kumar took 1 wicket in 4 overs for 31 runs. Josh Hazlewood gave away 40 in 4 overs. Suyash Sharma was tidy in patches. But the Chinnaswamy surface is unforgiving — a score of 200-plus was always expected.

Second Innings — RCB: 206/5 in 18.5 overs

Jacob Bethell opened and gave RCB a quick start — 14 off 10 balls before being caught. And then Virat Kohli took over. He partnered with Devdutt Padikkal for a 115-run second-wicket stand off just 59 balls. Padikkal finished with 55 off 27, hitting 6 sixes. Kohli went on to 81 before being bowled by Jason Holder.

After three wickets in quick succession — Padikkal, Kohli, then Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar — RCB were under pressure. But Krunal Pandya and Tim David held the fort, finishing the chase with Krunal hitting 23 off 12 balls and Tim David staying calm at the other end.

For Gujarat, Rashid Khan took 2 wickets but conceded 49 in 4 overs on this surface. Mohammed Siraj (for GT) went at 8.33 economy in 3 overs. The Titans were unlucky — Sudharsan's hundred deserved to be on the winning side.

Man of the Match: Sai Sudharsan (GT) — 100 off 58 balls*

It was Kohli who got RCB home, but the man-of-the-match went to Sudharsan, and rightly so. You don't score a century in a losing cause and not get recognised.

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Today's Match — Match 35: Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, April 25, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi

Two very different teams walk into Feroz Shah Kotla today — well, Arun Jaitley Stadium now, but old habits die hard.

Punjab Kings are the only unbeaten side left in IPL 2026. Five wins from five matches. Captain Shreyas Iyer has been in exceptional form — three consecutive half-centuries before a slight dip. Their opening pair of Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya have given them explosive starts. The bowling has been equally sharp. One concern: Cooper Connolly, the all-rounder, has flown back to Australia for a back scan and his availability is uncertain.

Delhi Capitals have three wins from six. They're sitting sixth. Their last game ended in a 47-run loss to Sunrisers Hyderabad, where Abhishek Sharma tore their bowling apart. The home record is better — both home games have been wins. At this venue, spinners tend to do well early, and Kuldeep Yadav could be Delhi's biggest weapon today.

Probable Delhi XI: Pathum Nissanka, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Rana, Sameer Rizvi, Axar Patel (capt), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar.

Probable Punjab XI: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Mitchell Owen, Shreyas Iyer (capt), Shashank Singh, Marcus Stoinis, Marco Jansen, Xavier Bartlett, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.

Toss: 7:00 PM IST. Match: 7:30 PM IST. Broadcast: Star Sports / JioCinema.

Also Read: Klaasen vs Kohli: The Orange Cap Battle That Could Go to the Wire

Also On April 25 — Match 36: RR vs SRH, Jaipur

Rajasthan Royals take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in an evening fixture at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. SRH, led by Pat Cummins, have Abhishek Sharma in the form of his life. Rajasthan will need to be sharp.

The Orange Cap Race: Who's Leading the Runs Chart?

This is where it gets interesting. After 34 matches:

• Abhishek Sharma (SRH) — 323 runs at a strike rate of 215.33. That blistering 135 he hit against DC put him firmly at the top. He leads the Orange Cap.
• Heinrich Klaasen (SRH) — 320 runs. Klaasen is breathing down Abhishek's neck.
• Sai Sudharsan (GT) — 265 runs. After last night's century, he's moved up significantly.
• Virat Kohli (RCB) — moved into the top three after his 81 against GT.
• Sanjay Samson (CSK) — 293 runs from 7 matches with two centuries, including a 101* off 54 balls against Mumbai Indians on Thursday. Samson has been extraordinary since moving to CSK.

The Purple Cap Race: Who's Topping the Wickets Chart?

• Anshul Kamboj (?) — 14 wickets from 7 matches. Leading wicket-taker.
• Prince Yadav — 13 wickets.
• Eshan Malinga — 12 wickets.

Man of the Tournament Race (Unofficial Midpoint Assessment)

No official MOTM award is given until the end, but looking at the form chart:

• Abhishek Sharma has been the most destructive batter in the competition — consistent at the top of the order, game-changing.
• Sanjay Samson has two centuries for CSK and has single-handedly transformed CSK's middle order.
• Sai Sudharsan has been Gujarat's most reliable batter week after week.
• Anshul Kamboj leads the bowling charts by a distance.

Points Table — Top Positions (after 34 matches)

• Punjab Kings (PBKS): 5 wins, 0 losses — the tournament's form team.
• CSK, RCB, SRH are among the top four clubs on points.
• Delhi Capitals at sixth — in a fight to stay in playoff contention.
• Mumbai Indians have had a shocking run — three consecutive losses at Wankhede.

What to Watch as the Tournament Enters the Business End

The league stage ends on May 24. Playoffs follow. With 40 matches still to go, nothing is settled. But some clear trends are visible.

Punjab's batting depth is genuinely scary. CSK found a new identity with Samson. RCB needed this win against GT badly — three straight losses before last night had put serious pressure on Kohli's captaincy.

Mumbai Indians, with all their star power, look disoriented. Their batting collapses at key moments have cost them badly.

The two matches today — DC vs PBKS and RR vs SRH — could reshape the top half of the table. Watch this space.

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