Virat Kohli described the Chinnaswamy Stadium as a “special place to play cricket” after Royal Challengers Bengaluru finished their home leg on a high.
RCB chased down a tough 206-run target against Gujarat Titans in just 18.5 overs, winning by five wickets. This helped them end their home campaign with four wins in five matches.
Kohli-Padikkal partnership seals the chase
A brilliant 115-run partnership between Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal turned the game in RCB’s favour.
Kohli scored 81 off 44 balls and was named Player of the Match, while Padikkal made a quick 55 off 27 balls. Their stand made the chase comfortable after a steady start.
Kohli happy to play at home again
“Firstly, we were quite happy we were able to play five games here and the fans get to see the team again,” said Kohli.
The stadium had earlier faced uncertainty after last year’s tragic stampede but was cleared to host matches after safety checks. It is also set to host playoff games and the final.
“We were happy to play here, it’s a special place to play cricket. It’s been brilliant to play at home and win four games. Hopefully we’ll be able to come back and play here again later in the season,” Kohli added.
Kohli praises Padikkal’s impact
Kohli credited Padikkal for changing the game early in the chase.
“To be honest, we had to assess the wicket early on because they (GT) have a quality bowling attack and chasing 200 in the Chinnaswamy, we were just one partnership away.
“This is the second time Dev (Padikkal) has come and done this. You never see him slogging the ball yet he’s playing so freely. His innings was the difference in the first half and then I was trying to stay in the game so he won’t feel the pressure.”
Kohli is now also leading the run charts this season with 328 runs from seven innings.
RCB pull things back with the ball
Earlier, Gujarat Titans got off to a strong start with a 128-run opening partnership. However, RCB bowlers made a comeback in the later overs and stopped them from scoring big.
“Even in our bowling innings, we did well to pull things back. We were looking at 230-235 at one stage,” Kohli said.
Pitch helped batters, says Kohli
Kohli felt the conditions were ideal for batting.
“Best batting conditions we’ve had this season. So if we stayed in the game long enough it would get tougher and tougher for bowlers.
“Dev was going great guns and the idea was to keep the pressure on the bowlers. There was intent, clarity and feedback from the other and we didn’t have any doubts in the partnership and that’s what worked for us.”
RCB finish home leg strongly
With this win, RCB have ended their home matches on a positive note. Their remaining home games will now be played in Raipur due to scheduling arrangements.
The post IPL 2026: Virat Kohli hails ‘special’ Chinnaswamy as RCB seal thrilling chase vs GT appeared first on Cricket Country.
