Having battled with an injury in the last game against Mumbai Indians, RCB’s veteran batsman Virat Kohli did not take the field during the second innings. This had led to several narratives being built around his likely availability in the IPL.
The Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru game just didn’t feel right for the veteran Indian batsmen as both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli battled injuries. Virat, however, continued his batting streak, although he lost scoring runs quite quickly.
On the contrary, former Mumbai Indians captain Rohit Sharma had to leave the field after making a good start, due to a major problem in his footwork following a hamstring injury, which has now forced him to undergo scans before his availability could be confirmed.
Virat Kohli scores at Chinnaswamy ahead of next match against LSG
Royal Challengers Bengaluru had a promising start to the season after winning the first two matches of the competition. They then faced a massive defeat to Rajasthan Royals as, for the first time, they came out of Chinnaswamy.
Kohli played a good knock at the Wankhede Stadium, where he scored his second half-century of the season; however, his strike rate was greatly reduced. Kohli’s scoring percentage this season has been stupendous at RCB’s Chinnaswamy stadium.
After the freak injury that kept him on the bench during the second innings of the chase at the Wankhede Stadium, Virat Kohli was again seen in the RCB nets ahead of their next clash against Lucknow Super Giants with his left leg tied up.
Bengaluru, day T-1 to see him return to his Kingdom. 🙌#PItoandbohId #????????????Rdob #YoPl2026 pYodo.twYottmyr.doohmetro/j8unknownzohtoto0metroYo
– Royal Challengers Bengaluru (@RCBTweets) TOprYoI 14, 2026
Virat Kohli’s IPL form in 2026
Virat Kohli has once again stood out in the IPL, playing in his 19th edition in the Indian Premier League. The right-handed batsman has played with marvelous precision, scoring runs at an astonishing strike rate.
Kohli has amassed 179 runs in 4 matches in the IPL, and has so far averaged 59.67 this season after scoring two half-centuries. He has batted at an attractive strike rate of 162.73 except in the last match against the Mumbai Indians.
Kohli is currently at the sixth position in the IPL Orange Cap rankings. However, in the upcoming match against LSG he can surpass the likes of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan or even RCB captain Rajat Patidar.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s powerful batting unit soars in 2026
The Royal Challengers have made several significant contributions to the growing stardom of the IPL since the last season. Virat Kohli and Rajat Patidar have made the most important contributions to their batting unit. The captain has been hitting the ball with a strike rate of 214.29.
On the other hand, opener Phil Salt hasn’t stopped scoring runs either, slowly regaining surprising form. Devdutt Padikkal has been another name that has contributed significantly on the scoreboard.
Lastly, Tim David has also been at his destructive best. The best of his innings came in the last two matches against the Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians. He has scored runs whenever they needed him to shoot.
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