RCB beats KKR; Kohli 105 not out

Royal Challengers Bengaluru moved to the top of the IPL 2026 table on May 13 after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in Raipur, with Virat Kohli finishing unbeaten on 105 from 60 balls in a chase of 193. Kolkata had made 192/4 after Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 71 and Rinku Singh added 49 not out, but RCB reached 194/4 in 19.1 overs. The result gave RCB 16 points from 12 matches and left KKR outside the leading group with two league games left, according to the IPL and ESPNcricinfo match reports and points table. ### How did Kohli shape the chase? Virat Kohli controlled the chase from the start after RCB lost Jacob Bethell in the fourth over. The RCB opener reached his fifty in 32 balls and carried the innings through to the finish, hitting 11 fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 105, according to the IPL match report. (iplt20.com) Devdutt Padikkal made 39 and shared a 92-run stand with Kohli for the second wicket, a partnership that kept the required rate in check after the early loss. Rajat Patidar made 11 before Sunil Narine removed him, and Tim David fell late, but Kohli stayed through the innings and took RCB past the target with five balls remaining. (iplt20.com) ### Why did the hundred stand out? Kohli's hundred was his ninth in the IPL and came after back-to-back ducks in his previous two innings, ESPNcricinfo reported. The innings also took him past 14,000 runs in T20 cricket, according to ESPNcricinfo's coverage around the match. (iplt20.com) Virat Kohli said the pressure after those low scores sharpened his preparation. "Pressure is a privilege," he said after the match, adding that the nerves pushed him to work harder in the nets, according to ESPNcricinfo. ### What did KKR do with the bat? Kolkata Knight Riders recovered from 48/2 through Angkrish Raghuvanshi's 71 off 46 balls, which anchored the innings after the early dismissals of Finn Allen and Ajinkya Rahane. (espncricinfo.com) Raghuvanshi added 68 with Cameron Green, who made 32, and then shared a 76-run stand with Rinku Singh, the IPL report said. (espncricinfo.com) Rinku Singh finished unbeaten on 49 from 29 balls and gave KKR late momentum, but RCB's seam attack kept the total below 200. Bhuvneshwar Kumar removed Allen, Josh Hazlewood dismissed Rahane, and ESPNcricinfo said RCB's bowlers used movement and uneven bounce better than KKR's attack did later in the night. ### Where did the game turn? (iplt20.com) Kartik Tyagi's 3-32 kept KKR in the contest by removing Bethell, Padikkal and another wicket in the chase, but RCB's middle overs were steadier and more efficient. The IPL report described Kohli as the "immovable force" after KKR briefly checked the scoring with wickets of Padikkal, Patidar and Tim David. (iplt20.com) Raipur conditions also mattered. ESPNcricinfo reported that the match began after a rain delay of about 75 minutes and that RCB had selected an extra seamer, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jacob Duffy and Hazlewood all playing. That attack helped limit KKR's acceleration even though Kolkata lost only four wickets. (iplt20.com) ### What does the result change in the table? Royal Challengers Bengaluru rose to No. 1 in the standings with 16 points from 12 matches and a net run rate of 1.053, ESPNcricinfo's points table showed on May 14. Gujarat Titans also had 16 points but trailed RCB on net run rate. Kolkata Knight Riders remained with two matches left in the league phase and next face Gujarat Titans on May 16 at Eden Gardens, according to the IPL schedule. (espncricinfo.com) RCB's next game is against Punjab Kings on May 17 in Dharamsala, before a final league match against Sunrisers Hyderabad on May 22. (espncricinfo.com 1) (espncricinfo.com 2)