Vaibhav Suryavanshi vs Virat Kohli today
Battle of generations today. 15-year-old Vaibhav will face 37-year-old Virat Kohli. Two completely different generation, batting philosophies, and roles. Who will come out on top today?
Sports news
#IPL #Virat #Kohli #update #injury #RCBs #win #LSG">IPL 2026: Virat Kohli gives update on his injury following RCB’s win over LSG Virat Kohli on Wednesday said he was satisfied with his intensity and approach despite not being at full fitness as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) registered a comfortable five-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here.
Kohli struck a 34-ball 49 to set up RCB’s chase of 146, which it completed in just over 15 overs.
“Much better than the last game. I’m still not 100 per cent. My knee was a bit sore 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,” Kohli said after the match.
The former India captain was seen training with his left knee heavily strapped ahead of the game at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Kohli hit six fours and a six to take his tally to 228 runs in the tournament at an average of 57, claiming the Orange Cap.
“I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off. Sometimes, you have to take the conditions into account as well.
“The pitch slowed down considerably, and I just wanted to probably keep going in the same manner. But, yeah, in the end, should have probably finished that one off as well.”
RCB skipper Rajat Patidar continued his aggressive form with a 13-ball 27, earning praise from Kohli for his clarity and intent.
“We have our KPIs as a batting unit, and it says Rajat (Patidar) to go in and assess the situation. I always tell him, you’re probably looking to assess the bowler’s heart rate rather than the situation… I mean, incredible clarity,” the former India captain said.
“The way our management has stacked up the team allows us to play in a certain way. I have to adapt my role accordingly. It allows me to play a certain way up front with Salty (Phil Salt), so we pass on the baton nicely.
“The freedom of having Romario (Shepherd) and Tim (David)… KP (Krunal Pandya)hasn’t even batted yet. We’re sitting on a batting unit that’s explosive and getting the job done. It looks intimidating if you have Romario and Tim walking in, even after five down. These guys can get you 50 runs in four overs… that gives all of us a lot of freedom.”
Reflecting on the changing demands of T20 cricket, Kohli said adaptability will be crucial as the tournament progresses.
“Well, it depends on the situation and the condition as well for me. Not all games are going to be 230, 240…the demands of the modern game are pretty different, but you always have to keep an eye out on the situation and when people play under pressure,” he said.
Published on Apr 16, 2026
Virat Kohli on Wednesday said he was satisfied with his intensity and approach despite not…
Sports news
#RCB #LSG #IPL #Virat #Kohli #play #Impact #Lucknow #Super #Giants">RCB vs LSG IPL 2026: Virat Kohli to play as Impact Sub against Lucknow Super Giants
For the first time in his IPL career, Virat Kohli will play as an impact sub in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s match against Lucknow Super Giants at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday night.
Kohli, one of the best fielders in the RCB outfit, will not take the field in the first innings after RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first.
The 37-year-old did not field in RCB’s last match against Mumbai Indians as well, after facing an issue with his left ankle. It is understood that the decision to play Kohli as an impact sub was taken as a precautionary measure.
FOLLOW THE IPL 2026 LIVE:RCB vs LSG Live Score, IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru wins the toss and opts to field; Hazlewood returns for Duffy
Kohli is expected to open the batting in the second innings as Rajat Patidar confirmed only one change in the starting lineup at the toss- Josh Hazlewood for Jacob Duffy.
Published on Apr 15, 2026
For the first time in his IPL career, Virat Kohli will play as an impact sub in Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s match against Lucknow Super Giants at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday night.
Kohli, one of the best fielders in the RCB outfit, will not take the field in the first innings after RCB captain Rajat Patidar won the toss and chose to bowl first.
The 37-year-old did not field in RCB’s last match against Mumbai Indians as well, after facing an issue with his left ankle. It is understood that the decision to play Kohli as an impact sub was taken as a precautionary measure.
FOLLOW THE IPL 2026 LIVE:RCB vs LSG Live Score, IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru wins the toss and opts to field; Hazlewood returns for Duffy
Kohli is expected to open the batting in the second innings as Rajat Patidar confirmed only one change in the starting lineup at the toss- Josh Hazlewood for Jacob Duffy.
Published on Apr 15, 2026
For the first time in his IPL career, Virat Kohli will play as an impact…
Sports news
#IPL #RCB #sheds #inhibitions #emerge #modern #T20 #behemoth">IPL 2026: RCB sheds old inhibitions to emerge as modern T20 behemoth
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought. Rajat Patidar’s men have since begun the 2026 season with similar assurance, winning three of their first four matches.
Their 18-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday was further evidence that a side long associated with on-field struggles has quietly transformed itself into a clinical and well-rounded T20 team.
Lessons from the past
It is easy to say in retrospect, but there were signs that RCB could turn its fabled fortunes around. The 2025 title win came after a mega-auction reset, but in the five preceding seasons (2020 to 2024), RCB qualified for the playoffs four times, building a base of consistency even without silverware.
The last of those playoff appearances, in 2024, came on the back of a borderline miraculous run. The side recovered from losing seven of its first eight league matches by winning its next six in a row to sneak into the final qualification spot, before losing the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals.
That turnaround was driven by a clear shift in approach with the bat. Over that run, its run rate rose from 9.16 in the first eight matches to 10.23 in the final seven, while scoring rates across all three phases increased significantly.
More importantly, the middle-overs slowdown disappeared almost entirely, with batters continuing to attack and maintaining a far more even scoring pattern through the innings.
Life in the fast lane
Since 2025, the personnel have changed entirely, barring Virat Kohli and Patidar, but the attacking intent has not waned. RCB has struck at 9.63 with the bat and maintained a consistent scoring rate throughout the innings.
(insert – )
While none of its phase-wise run rates — 9.36 in the PowerPlay, 9.04 in the middle overs, and 11.42 at the death — are the very best in the league, they all rank in the top half, underlining the consistency of the batting unit.
Leading the way is the opening pair of Phil Salt and Kohli. Salt, picked for Rs. 11.50 crore after his performances in Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 title-winning campaign, is one of the most aggressive PowerPlay batters in world cricket. He complements the more measured Kohli, who has nevertheless found an extra gear.
Together, the pair has put on 731 runs (the third-most of any opening pair) at an average of 43 and a run rate of 10.34 since the start of 2025, combining volume with tempo to give RCB a strong platform.
Unlike the RCB sides of the past, the burden of run-scoring has not rested on a handful of players. Over the 2025 season, 10 different batters have scored half-centuries for the team.
Equally impressively, among frontline batters who have faced at least 10 balls since the start of the 2025 season, all but two have struck at over 140.
(insert – )
RCB’s batting line-up has thus been remodelled into one that bats deep, scores quickly, and produces contributions across the order. Perhaps more significantly, RCB has shown early signs of correcting a key weakness. In 2025, it won seven of eight matches while chasing, compared to five in eight batting first; in 2026, two of its three wins have already come while setting a target.
The early bird gets the worm
If the batting has been solid without being exceptional, the bowling in the PowerPlay has been dominant. No team has taken more wickets in the first six overs than RCB’s 34. It also leads in average (30.94), strike rate (20.1), and dot-ball percentage (45.1%), while ranking second in economy (9.22).
This dominance is driven by the pairing of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who account for 20 of those 34 wickets. Interestingly, for two bowlers known for extracting movement with the new ball, their best work has come in the latter half of the PowerPlay.
(insert – )
Twelve of those wickets have come in that phase, and the team’s 18 wickets between overs four and six are comfortably the best in the league.
Those early breakthroughs have often dented top-heavy batting units and set the stage for the spinners through the middle overs. While RCB’s spinners take relatively fewer wickets, they have been effective, as seen in Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul in the 2025 final against Punjab Kings.
Sharing the experience around
After the 2025 mega-auction, RCB released videos outlining its strategy. In one of them, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat spoke about prioritising spending on the starting XII and building a strong Indian core.
That approach aligned with a broader trend: experienced teams tend to win IPL finals. Since 2022, only two players in their maiden IPL season have featured for a title-winning side in a final.
RCB also identified a lack of experience in its Indian contingent in 2024, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik accounting for 65 per cent of the IPL caps among Indian players.
The auction strategy reflected that insight. The franchise invested heavily in an Indian core, bringing in Bhuvneshwar (Rs. 10.75 crore), Krunal (Rs. 5.75 crore), Jitesh Sharma (Rs. 11 crore), and Devdutt Padikkal (Rs. 2 crore).
None of them dominated pre-auction chatter, and even the most expensive among them went for less than half of what Rishabh Pant commanded. Despite entering the auction with the second-highest purse (Rs. 83 crore), RCB signed just one marquee player.
Yet, this group proved crucial in raising the team’s floor, using experience and clarity to bridge the gap between its best and worst performances, a long-standing issue for the franchise. Each also delivered match-winning contributions at key moments.
A well-constructed T20 team
Everything came together on that night at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The planning, clarity, and execution aligned as RCB emerged as IPL champion for the first time.
Beyond the narrative of a drought ending, this is also a story of how a well-constructed team, built on sound principles and a clear understanding of modern T20 cricket, came into being.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought. Rajat Patidar’s men have since begun the 2026 season with similar assurance, winning three of their first four matches.
Their 18-run win against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday was further evidence that a side long associated with on-field struggles has quietly transformed itself into a clinical and well-rounded T20 team.
Lessons from the past
It is easy to say in retrospect, but there were signs that RCB could turn its fabled fortunes around. The 2025 title win came after a mega-auction reset, but in the five preceding seasons (2020 to 2024), RCB qualified for the playoffs four times, building a base of consistency even without silverware.
The last of those playoff appearances, in 2024, came on the back of a borderline miraculous run. The side recovered from losing seven of its first eight league matches by winning its next six in a row to sneak into the final qualification spot, before losing the Eliminator to Rajasthan Royals.
That turnaround was driven by a clear shift in approach with the bat. Over that run, its run rate rose from 9.16 in the first eight matches to 10.23 in the final seven, while scoring rates across all three phases increased significantly.
More importantly, the middle-overs slowdown disappeared almost entirely, with batters continuing to attack and maintaining a far more even scoring pattern through the innings.
Life in the fast lane
Since 2025, the personnel have changed entirely, barring Virat Kohli and Patidar, but the attacking intent has not waned. RCB has struck at 9.63 with the bat and maintained a consistent scoring rate throughout the innings.
(insert – )
While none of its phase-wise run rates — 9.36 in the PowerPlay, 9.04 in the middle overs, and 11.42 at the death — are the very best in the league, they all rank in the top half, underlining the consistency of the batting unit.
Leading the way is the opening pair of Phil Salt and Kohli. Salt, picked for Rs. 11.50 crore after his performances in Kolkata Knight Riders’ 2024 title-winning campaign, is one of the most aggressive PowerPlay batters in world cricket. He complements the more measured Kohli, who has nevertheless found an extra gear.
Together, the pair has put on 731 runs (the third-most of any opening pair) at an average of 43 and a run rate of 10.34 since the start of 2025, combining volume with tempo to give RCB a strong platform.
Unlike the RCB sides of the past, the burden of run-scoring has not rested on a handful of players. Over the 2025 season, 10 different batters have scored half-centuries for the team.
Equally impressively, among frontline batters who have faced at least 10 balls since the start of the 2025 season, all but two have struck at over 140.
(insert – )
RCB’s batting line-up has thus been remodelled into one that bats deep, scores quickly, and produces contributions across the order. Perhaps more significantly, RCB has shown early signs of correcting a key weakness. In 2025, it won seven of eight matches while chasing, compared to five in eight batting first; in 2026, two of its three wins have already come while setting a target.
The early bird gets the worm
If the batting has been solid without being exceptional, the bowling in the PowerPlay has been dominant. No team has taken more wickets in the first six overs than RCB’s 34. It also leads in average (30.94), strike rate (20.1), and dot-ball percentage (45.1%), while ranking second in economy (9.22).
This dominance is driven by the pairing of Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who account for 20 of those 34 wickets. Interestingly, for two bowlers known for extracting movement with the new ball, their best work has come in the latter half of the PowerPlay.
(insert – )
Twelve of those wickets have come in that phase, and the team’s 18 wickets between overs four and six are comfortably the best in the league.
Those early breakthroughs have often dented top-heavy batting units and set the stage for the spinners through the middle overs. While RCB’s spinners take relatively fewer wickets, they have been effective, as seen in Krunal Pandya’s three-wicket haul in the 2025 final against Punjab Kings.
Sharing the experience around
After the 2025 mega-auction, RCB released videos outlining its strategy. In one of them, Director of Cricket Mo Bobat spoke about prioritising spending on the starting XII and building a strong Indian core.
That approach aligned with a broader trend: experienced teams tend to win IPL finals. Since 2022, only two players in their maiden IPL season have featured for a title-winning side in a final.
RCB also identified a lack of experience in its Indian contingent in 2024, with Kohli and Dinesh Karthik accounting for 65 per cent of the IPL caps among Indian players.
The auction strategy reflected that insight. The franchise invested heavily in an Indian core, bringing in Bhuvneshwar (Rs. 10.75 crore), Krunal (Rs. 5.75 crore), Jitesh Sharma (Rs. 11 crore), and Devdutt Padikkal (Rs. 2 crore).
None of them dominated pre-auction chatter, and even the most expensive among them went for less than half of what Rishabh Pant commanded. Despite entering the auction with the second-highest purse (Rs. 83 crore), RCB signed just one marquee player.
Yet, this group proved crucial in raising the team’s floor, using experience and clarity to bridge the gap between its best and worst performances, a long-standing issue for the franchise. Each also delivered match-winning contributions at key moments.
A well-constructed T20 team
Everything came together on that night at the Narendra Modi Stadium. The planning, clarity, and execution aligned as RCB emerged as IPL champion for the first time.
Beyond the narrative of a drought ending, this is also a story of how a well-constructed team, built on sound principles and a clear understanding of modern T20 cricket, came into being.
Published on Apr 13, 2026
In 2025, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally shed its Indian Premier League (IPL) title drought.…
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