Virat Kohli (Image credit: Agencies)

NEW DELHI: It began with Virat Kohli’s ‘naagin dance’ and ended with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s breathtaking blitz. The Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru IPL 2026 clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Friday had entertainment written all over it – both on and off the field.With the toss delayed due to rain and wet outfield, Kohli slipped into his entertainer mode. Amid loud chants from the stands, the RCB star broke into his trademark ‘naagin dance’ during the warm-up, drawing massive cheers. The crowd erupted with chants of “Kohli! Kohli!” as the former India captain soaked in the moment with a smile.But once the game began, it was Rajasthan Royals who danced to victory.Chasing 202, RR were powered by a stunning assault from young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who hammered 78 off just 26 balls. His fearless strokeplay, combined with Dhruv Jurel’s calm and composed unbeaten 81 off 43 deliveries, guided Rajasthan to a comfortable six-wicket win.The duo stitched a match-defining 108-run stand for the second wicket in just 37 balls, taking the game away from RCB in a flash.Earlier, Royal Challengers Bengaluru had posted 201 for 8 after being put in to bat. Skipper Rajat Patidar led from the front with a fighting 63, while Kohli (32), Romario Shepherd (22) and Venkatesh Iyer (29) made useful contributions.Krunal Pandya tried to spark a comeback with two quick wickets, but Jurel, alongside Ravindra Jadeja (24), ensured there were no late twists, finishing the chase with two overs to spare.For Rajasthan, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi and Brijesh Sharma picked up two wickets each.Kohli may have won the crowd with his dance moves before the match, but it was Sooryavanshi and Jurel who had the final say, scripting yet another emphatic win for an unbeaten Rajasthan Royals side.RR will next face Sunrisers Hyderabad on April 13, while RCB take on Mumbai Indians on Sunday.

Virat Kohli and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Screengrab/X)

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once again lit up IPL 2026 with a sensational knock against RCB in Guwahati, earning the Orange Cap along with a heartfelt note from Virat Kohli.In one of the most electrifying performances of IPL 2026, 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi delivered a breathtaking knock to power Rajasthan Royals to a memorable win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 10. Playing at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, the teenage sensation smashed 78 off just 26 balls, laced with 8 fours and 7 sixes, as RR chased down a daunting target of 202 with two overs to spare.With this innings, Sooryavanshi not only sealed a match-winning performance but also surged to the top of the run-scoring charts, claiming the Orange Cap in IPL 2026. Sooryavanshi’s innings was a fearless exhibition of power-hitting and composure far beyond his years. Taking on experienced RCB bowlers from the outset, he turned the chase into a one-sided affair.He brought up his half-century in just 15 balls, equaling the fastest fifty of the season, a record he had already set earlier against CSK, underlining his consistency in explosive starts.

A Special Moment with Virat Kohli

The night became even more memorable for the youngster when Virat Kohli acknowledged his brilliance. After the match, Kohli gifted Sooryavanshi an autographed cap with a heartfelt message: “Dear Vaibhav, well done.” Kohli wrote on the Royals cap. Powerplay Carnage Sets the ToneThe foundation of RR’s dominant chase was laid in the powerplay, where Sooryavanshi’s aggression left RCB stunned. Rajasthan Royals raced to 97/1 in the first six overs, the highest powerplay score in the franchise’s IPL history, with the youngster dismantling both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood. Sooryavanshi found strong support in Dhruv Jurel, who played a composed yet impactful unbeaten knock of 81. The duo stitched together a 108-run partnership in just 37 balls, effectively taking the game away from RCB and ensuring there were no late hiccups in the chase. With the win Rajasthan Royals sits at the top of the table with 4 wins in 4 matches.

Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and David Miller

NEW DELHI: Batting in a chase is widely regarded as one of the toughest tasks in cricket, and those who excel under pressure are often counted among the best in the world. One of the first names that comes to mind when discussing chases is none other than ‘chasemaster’ Virat Kohli. The Indian talisman has won many matches single-handedly while chasing and amassed a mountain of runs.The Indian Premier League is no exception, as Kohli leads the tally for most runs in chases in the league, with 4027 runs from 125 innings. That is just under 50% of his record 8758 IPL runs. However, in terms of best average while chasing, Kohli does not even feature in the top five among the 231 batters who have batted at least 10 times in chases. In fact, the Royal Challengers Bengaluru star sits 10th with an average of 41.51.David Miller, who has been in the spotlight since Wednesday night after his refusal to take a single off the penultimate ball led to Delhi Capitals losing by one run to Gujarat Titans, tops this elite list. Despite that costly moment, Miller’s reputation as a finisher remains intact, and his numbers underline his dominance in chases.Miller has scored 1,816 runs in 67 innings at an impressive average of 49.08, with a strike rate of 142.54, including 12 fifties and a century.His DC teammate KL Rahul, whose 92 off 52 went in vain against Gujarat Titans, is second on the list with an average of 47.92 from 66 innings. Rahul has accumulated 2,636 runs in those chases at a strike rate of 138.22, including 25 half-centuries.Kohli’s RCB teammate Phil Salt is third with an average of 46.92, albeit from just 16 innings. He has scored 657 runs at a stunning strike rate of 178.04, including eight fifties.Former Mumbai Indians batter Lendl Simmons follows with an average of 46.22, having scored 416 runs from 11 innings, including one century and three fifties.Sai Sudharsan rounds off the top five with a chasing average of 45.40 from 22 innings, scoring 908 runs at a strike rate of 141.43, including one hundred and five fifties.

Best batting average while chasing in IPL

(Note – Batters who batted at least 10 times in IPL chases)

Chennai Super Kings’ Noor Ahmad, left, interacts with wicketkeeper Sanju Samson (PTI Photo)

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has raised concerns over Noor Ahmad’s form, calling it the biggest issue for Chennai Super Kings following their 43-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026.Noor, who was one of CSK’s standout performers last season, has struggled to make an impact this year. The left-arm spinner has gone wicketless across three matches, conceding over 100 runs in roughly 10 overs, including an expensive outing against RCB where he was taken apart by Rajat Patidar and Tim David.“He (Noor) is CSK’s biggest problem right now. He has bowled around 10 overs this season and conceded over 100 runs. He does not have a single wicket. I believe that if he corrects the angle of his run-up, the alignment will improve, and his hand, which has been falling on one side, will become straighter as well,” Pathan said.Pathan also voiced his disappointment with Matt Henry, stating that the experienced pacer has not lived up to expectations so far. Henry conceded 36 runs in three overs against RCB without picking up a wicket and has looked ineffective throughout the campaign.“I am very disappointed with his bowling because he brings in a lot of experience. He has had performances and a good economy, but hasn’t been able to perform like that in this league. An experienced bowler does not bowl a half volley. Anshul Kamboj dismissed Virat Kohli with a bouncer after seeing him step out. Matt Henry bowled a full delivery even after seeing Virat step out,” he added.The former all-rounder further pointed out tactical errors in CSK’s approach to Tim David, whose unbeaten 70 off 25 balls powered RCB to a daunting total of 250/3.“Tim David usually stands outside the leg stump. So, bowling at the off stump is giving him width. If the bowler is thinking that he won’t give room by bowling at the off stump, he is actually giving him room. You have to bowl at the middle stump and leg stump; otherwise, he is going to hit you. You can block him initially, which Chennai did not do, and he took full advantage of that,” he remarked.CSK’s struggles have now extended to three consecutive defeats at the start of the season. They will be aiming to bounce back when they take on Delhi Capitals at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 11.

Virat Kohli hail Dhurandhar 2 (Agency Image)

A day after Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026, star batter Virat Kohli switched gears off the field and shared his glowing review of the blockbuster film Dhurandhar 2. Taking to social media, Kohli heaped praise on director Aditya Dhar and lead actor Ranveer Singh, describing the film as an unparalleled cinematic experience.

Virat Kohli’s Instagram story for Dhurandhar.

“Saw the film today and dare I say that I’ve never ever seen a cinematic experience like this made in India. It brought out every kind of emotion to the surface and I didn’t flinch once for almost 4 hours. @adityadharfilms your talent and conviction is reflected in what you’ve created. Hats off to you. You’re a genius. And although all actors were great in their roles BUT @ranveersingh you have attained a different level after this movie and your performance was beyond brilliant. Absolutely WOW,” he posted. Released on March 19, Dhurandhar 2 has enjoyed a sensational run at the box office. As per Jio Studios, the film has grossed ₹1622 crore worldwide so far, including ₹1228 crore domestically and ₹394 crore overseas. Its net domestic collection stands at ₹1041 crore, underlining its massive success. The film opened strongly with ₹102.55 crore on day one, followed by ₹80.72 crore and ₹113 crore on the next two days. It continued its impressive run over the weekend, collecting ₹114.85 crore on March 22 before seeing a drop to ₹65 crore on the first Monday. Through the first week, it maintained steady collections between ₹40 crore and ₹60 crore, while Day 18 alone brought in ₹28.75 crore across 14,229 shows in India. Kohli was not the only one impressed. Actor Anushka Sharma also shared her appreciation for the film and her former co-star Ranveer Singh, applauding both the storytelling and performances.

Anushka’s Instagram story for Dhurandhar.

“What a fantastic film you’ve made @adityadharfilms! It takes so much conviction to make an almost 4 hr long film. Gripping and immersive, meticulously crafted, the film holds your attention through and through. You are a fiercely original and assured filmmaker @ranveersingh You seized a once-in- a-lifetime character and delivered a solid, flawless performance @actormaddy @rampal72 @therakeshbedi sir and each and every fantastic actor in the film – Every performance lands perfectly; the film is unthinkable without each of you. Many congratulations to everyone behind this one.” With praise pouring in from both the cricketing and film worlds, Dhurandhar 2 continues to dominate headlines as one of the biggest cinematic successes in recent times.

Chennai Super Kings’ captain Ruturaj Gaikwad (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi)

Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted his own failure at the top hurt Chennai Super Kings as they slumped to a heavy loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, elaborating on key moments in the post-match press conference. CSK were rocked early in the chase of 250, collapsing to 30 for 3 after losing Ruturaj, Sanju Samson and Ayush Mhatre. That early damage proved decisive despite a spirited response later. Reflecting on the fightback, Ruturaj said in the post-match conference: “Well, even I was surprised, to be honest. Great fight by Sarfaraz, Prashant Veer, Jamie Overton, even to some extent Shivam Dube. So I think, maybe I would have, contributed more top of the order, you never know, we would have chased it down. So definitely it’s on me today.” He highlighted how the efforts of Sarfaraz Khan, Prashant Veer and Jamie Overton kept CSK in the contest briefly, but admitted the game had already slipped due to the poor start. Ruturaj also elaborated on a crucial moment in the field that could have shifted momentum. Virat Kohli was dropped early, and RCB capitalised fully. Speaking about that phase, he said: “We would have had, as you rightly said, if we would have taken early chance of Virat Kohli, I think that was, I mean, maybe we would have had momentum to ourselves. But I think, we still had the game in our hands till the 13th, 14th over, and that’s when the momentum really shifted.” That shift came dramatically at the death, when Tim David tore into the CSK attack. Ruturaj pointed out that they almost had an opportunity to dismiss him earlier. On that moment, he said in the press conference: “Well, you’re right, KP. I think, Anshul almost got a wicket of him. Unfortunate to be illegal delivery, but yeah, after that, he just smacked all around the park and, as you rightly said, hats off to him.” RCB’s late surge, powered by Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar and David, took the game away completely. For Ruturaj, the takeaway was clear. Missed chances, an underwhelming start with the bat, and a brutal finish from the opposition combined to seal CSK’s fate.

NEW DELHI: Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru continued their dream run in IPL 2026 with a commanding 43-run victory over Chennai Super Kings at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, powered by a sensational batting display and timely strikes with the ball.Put in to bat, RCB endured a cautious start on a slightly tacky surface, going boundary-less in the first three overs. Virat Kohli looked the most assured early on, while Phil Salt gradually found his rhythm. The innings gained momentum after the PowerPlay, with Salt (46) and Devdutt Padikkal stitching a crucial stand.