Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s chase of 147 against Lucknow Super Giants with a fluent 49 off 32 balls, and afterwards gave a short, candid talk to the team in the dressing room, shared by the franchise in a video.
A strong powerplay
The surface was slightly sticky, but RCB made 60 for one in the powerplay, with Kohli contributing 40 of those runs. He said the side had been professional. After Phil Salt fell early, the plan was to hit back, counter-attack and give LSG no opening, which is what happened.
Momentum passed along
Kohli stressed how well the batters were handing momentum from one to the next. He singled out Rajat Patidar, who scored 27 off 13 balls at a strike rate above 200 and played some excellent shots. In short spells of pressure, Kohli said, the team picked the right options and stayed ahead of the game.
The one frustration
There was a note of disappointment too. RCB lost five wickets late on despite controlling the chase, and Kohli said he would have preferred to finish with only two or three down. He admitted he does not like seeing collapses, but was glad to see Romario Shepherd get time in the middle and close out the game.
The win took RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 table. They next play Delhi Capitals at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on April 18.
