Virat Kohli has scored 396 runs at an average of 26.40 and a strike rate of 121.10 in 17 playoff matches.© BCCI
All eyes will be on Virat Kohli on Tuesday as Royal Challengers Bengaluru take on Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 of the IPL 2026 in Dharamsala. The 37-year-old batter has been in the news after he refused to shake hands with Travis Head following RCB’s defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad in their last group game on Friday. He scored just 15 in that outing as RCB failed to chase down a daunting 256 in Hyderabad. Despite the loss, RCB managed to top the points table due to their superior net run rate.
While RCB will get not one, but two chances to reach the final, Kohli’s form remains key for the defending champions for the remainder of the season.
However, the former RCB captain’s form in IPL playoffs could be a huge concern for the franchise. In 17 playoff matches, Kohli has scored 396 runs at an average of 26.40 and a strike rate of 121.10.
Kohli has 557 runs in 14 matches this season and scored a 58 in the last game he played in Dharamsala against the Punjab Kings earlier this month.
Meanwhile, RCB will carry the quiet confidence of defending champions into Qualifier 1 when they face Gujarat Titans in a high-stakes clash at the HPCA Stadium on Tuesday. The winner goes straight to the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, while the loser will need to take the longer road to get into the title clash.
Both sides ended the league stage on 18 points from 14 matches, with RCB claiming top spot on net run rate, as a reward for being the most consistently good side across the full league stage.
When RCB cruised to a chase of 206 against GT in their backyard on April 24, the Shubman Gill-led side were still a conservative side stuck in the middle of the points table.
From that point, GT have surged to be the best bowling side in the competition and now find themselves in the running to get their second IPL title.
(With PTI Inputs)
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