Virat Kohli Hits Record 9th IPL Century and Surpasses Chris Gayle

Virat Kohli delivered a trademark comeback innings with a record-extending ninth Indian Premier League century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in their IPL 2026 clash in Raipur on Wednesday. Kohli remained unbeaten on 105 off 60 balls, helping RCB chase down 193 in 19.1 overs and move to the top of the points table.

The century came after Kohli endured a rare lean phase, registering ducks in his previous two matches. The former RCB captain appeared visibly charged from the beginning of the innings, celebrating his first run with clenched fists before later breaking into a brief dance after smashing a six to move to 98 in the 18th over. He completed his hundred in the following over, marking another milestone-filled knock in his T20 career.

With the innings, Kohli extended his own record for the most IPL centuries, taking his tally to nine. He also surpassed Chris Gayle to become the fastest batter to reach 14,000 runs in T20 cricket, achieving the feat in 409 innings. Kohli additionally moved to 10 T20 hundreds overall, closing in on Babar Azam in the list of most T20 centuries.

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Kohli’s innings was built around a crucial 92-run partnership for the second wicket with Devdutt Padikkal, who scored 37 off 27 deliveries. Kohli struck 11 boundaries and three sixes during his unbeaten knock, anchoring the chase with controlled aggression and calculated stroke play as RCB comfortably crossed the target.Earlier, KKR posted a competitive 192/4 after a strong batting effort led by Angkrish Raghuvanshi, who top-scored with 71 off 46 balls. His innings included seven fours and three sixes.

Raghuvanshi stitched together important partnerships with Cameron Green, who made 32, and Rinku Singh, who remained unbeaten on 49 off 29 balls, helping KKR post a challenging total.Following the victory, RCB climbed to the top of the IPL standings with 16 points, level with Gujarat Titans but ahead on net run rate. Kohli’s return to form is expected to further strengthen Bengaluru’s campaign as the tournament enters a crucial phase.

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