Michael Vaughan trolls Virat Kohli after RCB vs GT clash, drags Joe Root into spotlight

The ongoing TATA Indian Premier League 2026 (TATA IPL 2026) has once again delivered high drama, but this time the action didn’t stop on the field. On April 24, Virat Kohli delivered a remarkable innings for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Virat Kohli’s classy 81-run knock off 44 balls took RCB to a five-wicket win over Gujarat Titans (GT) in Match No. 34 of the ongoing IPL 2026. After the match, a social media post from former England captain Michael Vaughan sparked a big debate and online trolling.

Virat Kohli's masterclass takes RCB to a big win over GT

Kohli’s performance was full of class and control, the kind of knock fans expect from the Indian batting superstar. The dashing right-handed batter smashed eight boundaries and four sixes and made those runs at a blistering strike rate of over 184 against the Gujarat Titans.

Read Also: 'Give me strike in powerplay': Shubman Gill destroys Sai Sudharsan after loss to RCB

Still, instead of celebrating the RCB icon’s effort, Vaughan took a cheeky dig at the modern Indian legend. It all started when Sam Billings, who played for DC, KKR, and CSK in the IPL, shared his excitement of watching Kohli bat on his social media handle during the RCB vs GT clash in Bengaluru.

Michael Vaughan sparks Virat Kohli vs Joe Root debate after Sam Billings praise

The England wicketkeeper-batter praised the joy of seeing Kohli in full flow. Billings posted on X: “Is there anything better than watching Virat Kohli in full flow? 💥💥💥💥💥” But Vaughan came in with a playful reply, saying he would rather watch England’s Test legend Joe Root.

The commentator took a cheeky dig at the Indian cricket fans by downplaying Kohli’s masterclass against the GT. Replying to Billings’ post on X, Vaughan cheekily posted: “Yes ... Joe Root 😜” That one line didn’t go down well with the fans, who have now been roasting Vaughan online.

Yes .. Joe Root 😜 https://t.co/wabiBrMmF8

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 24, 2026

Virat Kohli leads stunning RCB run chase in Bengaluru

Speaking about the IPL 2026 clash, the Shubman Gill-led Gujarat Titans posted a massive 205/3 on the board, thanks to a brilliant century from Sai Sudharsan. Chasing the target, RCB got the early setback in the form of Jacob Bethell, and then the fans got the full entertainment from Kohli.

Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal (55) broke Gujarat’s momentum with the stunning partnership of 115 runs and made the big target look much smaller. Even after Kohli got out, the job was almost done.

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RCB chased it down in 18.5 overs and sealed a comfortable five-wicket win with seven balls to spare. This innings also pushed Kohli to the top of the run-scoring list this season. With 328 runs in seven matches, the former RCB captain once again holds the Orange Cap.

Joe Root rules Tests, Virat Kohli still king of the white-ball game

Notably, Vaughan has often backed Root in Test cricket, saying the England batter has been more consistent recently. However, Kohli already retired from Test cricket last year. Over the recent few years, Root has built an impressive record, leading in terms of runs, centuries, and average.

However, Vaughan admits that Kohli dominates in white-ball formats and he is a more complete player across formats, but Root is number one in Tests in the modern era.