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Virat Kohli took his IPL 2026 tally to 228 runs in five matches with his remarkable 49-run knock in RCB vs LSG clash.
Virat Kohli claims IPL 2026 Orange Cap(PTI)Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bengaluru star, continued his impressive form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, scoring a quickfire 49 off 34 balls against Lucknow Super Giants. The knock helped him surpass rivals and claim the Orange Cap as the leading run-scorer after five matches.
Kohli walked in during the chase and played with his trademark class, smashing six boundaries and one six at a strike rate of 144.12. The 37-year-old was eventually dismissed by Avesh Khan, but his contribution boosted RCB's batting momentum. The match saw RCB secure a comfortable victory by , further strengthening their position in the points table.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru veteran Virat Kohli reclaimed the Orange Cap with a fighting 49 off 34 balls in the IPL 2026 clash against Lucknow Super Giants at M Chinnaswamy Stadium. RCB chased down 147 with ease, winning by 5 wickets and 29 balls to spare, but Kohli's post-match words revealed the personal challenges he is overcoming.
Kohli, who came in as an Impact Player, fell short of a fifty when he was caught by Nicholas Pooran off Avesh Khan. Despite the disappointment of not finishing the game, he sounded positive about his intensity on a tricky surface.
Virat Kohli reveals health update
In his post-match interaction, Virat Kohli was candid about his condition. He said, "Much better than the last game. I'm still not 100%. My knee was a bit sore in the last game. Even health-wise, I've been under the weather for four or five days now. So, just getting back up to my best. I started off well today, so I was happy with my intensity. Again, would have liked to carry on and finish the game off."
He explained how the pitch played a big role in his approach. "Yeah, it was slower than normal. If you saw, there was not enough grass on it. The last 3-4 days have been very, very hot. It's been very dry as well. So, we thought it's going to be a dry, slow wicket... the idea was to push the game away from the opposition and take the game away from them in the first five-six overs. And for those reasons, the powerplay batting was important and hence I say that I was happy with my approach today. I was able to put the team in front early on."
Virat Kohli claimed the Orange Cap
With this knock, Virat Kohli took his IPL 2026 tally to 228 runs in five matches at an average of 57.00 and a strike rate of 158.33. He now leads the Orange Cap race ahead of Heinrich Klaasen (224 runs) and teammate Rajat Patidar (222 runs).
(More to follow)
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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