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Virat Kohli Goes To Bowl, Immediately Retracts As Rajat Patidar Pays No Heed – RCB vs GT: Virat Kohli’s Bowling Gesture Steals the Show as RCB Enters IPL 2026 Final

Reyaansh Bansal · 27/05/2026 · 2 min read

RCB vs GT: Royal Challengers Bengaluru Enters IPL 2026 Final with a 92-Run Victory

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have secured their place in the IPL 2026 final with a dominant 92-run victory against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Qualifier 1 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala.

One-Sided Affair

The RCB vs GT match was a one-sided affair, as the Rajat Patidar-led team completely outplayed Gujarat Titans across all departments. Asked to bat first, RCB posted a massive 254/5 in 20 overs, with Rajat Patidar playing a sensational unbeaten 93 off just 39 balls.

His aggressive innings was filled with boundaries and fearless strokeplay that left the Gujarat bowlers under pressure throughout the innings. Virat Kohli also played an important knock, making 43 runs off 25 balls at a strike-rate of 172.00, and achieved a major personal milestone during the match.

Personal Milestone for Virat Kohli

The former RCB captain became the first player in IPL history to score more than 600 runs in four consecutive seasons. Chasing a huge target, GT had a worst possible start, losing five wickets inside the powerplay, which completely pushed them out of the contest.

Sai Sudharsan was dismissed hit-wicket, while captain Gill also failed to make an impact. Rahul Tewatia fought hard with a composed knock, but the target was simply too big. Gujarat Titans were eventually bowled out for 162 in 19.3 overs.

Light-Hearted Moment

In the RCB vs GT match, Virat Kohli produced a light-hearted moment that quickly grabbed attention online. As Jacob Duffy prepared to bowl the first over, Kohli was seen taking the ball and walking back as if he was about to bowl himself.

The RCB star even marked his run-up, adjusted the field, and pretended to begin his bowling action before suddenly stopping and handing the ball back to Duffy. Virat Kohli then shared a laugh with the on-field umpire and Rajat Patidar. The crowd inside the stadium erupted with excitement, hoping to see Kohli bowl after many years.

Bowling Stats

Virat Kohli has occasionally bowled in the IPL over the years, taking four wickets in 251 deliveries. Interestingly, he has not bowled an official delivery in the IPL since 2016. Despite that, fans continue to request him to bowl whenever RCB plays a match.

With the victory, RCB entered their second consecutive IPL final, while Gujarat Titans will now face the winner of the Eliminator in Qualifier 2.

Reyaansh Bansal

Reyaansh Bansal is the digital cricket content lead for ESPNcricinfo, where he masters the art of making cricket irresistible on phones, feeds, and timelines. A Mumbai University media graduate, Bansal began his career in sports radio but quickly pivoted to the digital space, recognising that the future of cricket fandom was being shaped on Twitter threads, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. He now leads a creative team that produces viral match recaps, player quizzes, and data‑driven infographics for millions of followers. Bansal’s unique skill is decoding complex match situations into shareable, witty formats without losing the sport’s essence. His work has been praised by current players, broadcasters, and cricket boards for bringing new, younger audiences to the game.