Virat Kohli may have missed his half-century by a whisker, but the knock still carried enough weight to reshape the IPL 2026 run-scoring leaderboard. Kohli moved to the top of the run-scorers’ table and earned the Orange Cap after a brisk 49 off 34 balls against Lucknow Super Giants, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru chase down 147 at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Coming into the game nursing a knee issue, there were real concerns around Kohli’s availability. The management opted to deploy him as an Impact Player, a first in his IPL career, and the tactical call paid off handsomely as RCB claimed a comfortable five-wicket win over the struggling LSG. Kohli hit 6 fours and 1 six, and the defending champions climbed to the top of the points table as a result.
The innings were made all the more remarkable given his physical state. After the match, Kohli said, “I’m still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore in the 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.”
Across five matches this season, Kohli has accumulated 228 runs at an average of 57.00 and a strike rate of 158.33, including 25 fours and 8 sixes, edging past SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen, who sits second on the list with 224 runs. RCB captain Rajat Patidar moved up to third with 222 runs, while Ishan Kishan and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi are the only other batters to have crossed the 200-run mark this season.
In the bowling charts, CSK’s Anshul Kamboj and Gujarat Titans’ Prasidh Krishna share the Purple Cap lead with ten wickets apiece, with Rajasthan Royals’ Ravi Bishnoi and LSG’s Prince Yadav close behind on nine.
As Kohli continues to defy age and injury, RCB look every inch a side capable of defending their title, with their talisman leading the charge once again.
