Virat Kohli writes another IPL epic with century for the ages against KKR

Virat Kohli now has the most T20 hundreds as an Indian, with 10 centuries to his name.

There’s an old story from Muhammad Ali’s later years. Long after the speed had slowed and the legs no longer danced like before, Ali was once asked what kept him going. His answer was that champions don’t retire from belief. They retire when belief leaves them. Virat Kohli batted like a man who still believes he owns every chase in the world.

Raipur saw another Kohli hundred on Wednesday night. But this one arrived after two ducks. After whispers. After the inevitable questions that follow ageing sporting icons around like shadows. And then, as he has done for nearly two decades now, Kohli responded the only way he knows how. He left everyone awestruck.

An unbeaten 105 off 60 balls. A chase of 193 felt like nothing. Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) back on top of the IPL 2026 table. Meanwhile, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) are all but out of IPL 2026. And somewhere in between all that, another reminder that pressure still awakens something frightening inside Virat Kohli.

Kohli looked switched on from ball one

The reaction after his first run said everything. Kohli wasn’t interested in easing himself in after two failures. That was perhaps the most heartening part because any player would like to take time after two ducks but Kohli didn’t. He immediately went after Vaibhav Arora, hammering four boundaries in one over. The flick through midwicket had trademark Kohli written all over it, but the back-foot punch over cover was the shot that really stood out. He was a batter completely sure of himself.

He reached his fifty in 32 balls and never really allowed KKR back into the game. Even when Devdutt Padikkal and Rajat Patidar got out, Kohli kept the chase under control. RCB needed 60 from the last six overs at one stage, but there was never panic. Commentators knew that game could’ve been tighter had Kohli been out. But he wasn’t, so RCB just knew they have the upper hand. He targeted the weaker matchups perfectly and took apart Arora again in the death overs.

However, those two shots, one against Anukul Roy and the other to Kartik Tyagi were out of this world. As if someone has rolled the 2016-2017 version of the great man. In th 17th over, the spinner bowled a perfect length delivery. However, it was a tad outisde but the way Kohli chipped it down the ground, it was surreal to watch. The shot showed why timing can make or break anything. In the very next over, Kohli flaunted his wrist work by helping one of Tyagi’s deliveries over the mid-wicket with just a gentle wrist.

Meanwhile, the century came with a single. No wild celebration. Just a smile, raised bat, and another entry in a record book he practically owns now.

Virat Kohli’s growing mountain of records

Most IPL centuries

Most Player of the Match awards in IPL (Indians)

Most T20 centuries by Indians

Fastest to 14,000 T20 runs (by innings)