BENGALURU — In the 34th match of IPL 2026, Royal Challengers Bengaluru performed excellently to defeat Gujarat Titans by five wickets. The hero of the victory at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium was Virat Kohli, who scored a brilliant 81 runs off 44 balls with eight boundaries and four sixes during the run chase. Following the match, Kohli said the message for them was clear: go out and hit. He stated that his partnership with Devdutt Padikkal proved crucial in this contest.
Praise for Devdutt
Kohli stated that they initially had to assess the pitch because the opposition has a good bowling attack, and while chasing 200 in Bengaluru, they simply needed one good partnership. He mentioned his discussion with Bethell focused on understanding the game in the first few overs before progressing. He praised Dev for his performance this season, noting his ability to play aggressively from the first ball.
Game Awareness and Ability
Kohli described the shot Devdutt played off Rabada’s first ball as brilliant. He noted that the player possesses game awareness and the ability to play good cricketing shots to trouble the opposition in local conditions. Kohli pointed out that he maintains a strike rate of over 200 without appearing to hit the ball hard.
Anchoring the Partnership
Kohli said that despite the ease with which Dev was scoring, he tried to stay in the game to ensure the pressure did not fall entirely on his partner. He noted his responsibility was to hit boundaries at the right time, and that partnership ultimately secured and turned the game in their favour.
Bowlers Regain Control
Kohli added that the team bowled very well to bring things under control, as it initially appeared the opposition might reach 230–235 runs. However, the bowlers restricted them to a total that was perhaps 20–25 runs short. He mentioned that the pitch was arguably the best for batting so far this season, with the ball coming onto the bat well and spinners finding no grip.
Kohli concluded by saying the message was very clear: go out and hit. He stated their intentions were clear and constant feedback during the partnership ensured there was no doubt, which worked in their favour.
