Virat Kohli is best chaser of all time: Dale Steyn makes colossal claim
COMPLETED / Match 34 / M.Chinnaswamy Stadium
206/5 (18.5 ov)
205/3 (20 ov)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru won by 5 wickets
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim David | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 111.11 |
| Krunal Pandya | 23 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 191.67 |
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECO |
| Jason Holder | 3.5 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 9.13 |
| Manav Suthar | 2 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 9.50 |
Key Stats
- Partnership: 33 run (3.2 ov): Krunal Pandya: 23 (12), Tim David: 9 (8)
- Last Bat: Rajat Patidar 8(5) - c W Sundar b M Suthar Manav Suthar
- Fall of Wickets: 26 - 1 Jacob Bethell, 141 - 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 154 - 3 Virat Kohli, 171 - 4 Jitesh Sharma, 173 - 5 Rajat Patidar
- Reviews Remaining: Royal Challengers Bengaluru - 2 of 2, Gujarat Titans - 2 of 2
- Toss: Royal Challengers Bengaluru elected to bowl
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sai Sudharsan
c & b J Hazlewood
|
100 | 58 | 11 | 5 | 172.41 |
|
Shubman Gill
c D Padikkal b S Sharma
|
32 | 24 | 2 | 1 | 133.33 |
|
Jos Buttler
c J Hazlewood b BV Kumar
|
25 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 156.25 |
| Washington Sundar Not out | 19 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 158.33 |
| Jason Holder Not out | 23 | 10 | 1 | 2 | 230.00 |
-
Extras: 6 ( b 0, lb 3, w 3, nb 0, p 0)
-
Did Not Batting : Shahrukh Khan , Rashid Khan , Manav Suthar , Kagiso Rabada , Mohammed Siraj , Prasidh Krishna
-
Fall of wickets :128 - 1 ( Shubman Gill , 12.4 ov ) ,160 - 2 ( Sai Sudharsan , 15.3 ov ) ,177 - 3 ( Jos Buttler , 17.4 ov )
| Bowling | O | R | W | ECO | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bhuvneshwar Kumar | 4 | 31 | 1 | 7.75 | 6 |
| Josh Hazlewood | 4 | 40 | 1 | 10.00 | 11 |
| Rasikh Salam | 3 | 28 | 0 | 9.33 | 3 |
| Krunal Pandya | 4 | 50 | 0 | 12.50 | 4 |
| Romario Shepherd | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17.00 | 0 |
| Suyash Sharma | 4 | 36 | 1 | 9.00 | 5 |
| Batting | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Jacob Bethell
c S Khan b M Siraj
|
14 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 140.00 |
|
Virat Kohli
b J Holder
|
81 | 44 | 8 | 4 | 184.09 |
|
Devdutt Padikkal
b R Khan
|
55 | 27 | 2 | 6 | 203.70 |
|
Rajat Patidar
c W Sundar b M Suthar
|
8 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 160.00 |
|
Jitesh Sharma
c M Suthar b R Khan
|
10 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 166.67 |
| Tim David Not out | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 111.11 |
| Krunal Pandya Not out | 23 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 191.67 |
-
Extras: 5 ( b 0, lb 2, w 3, nb 0, p 0)
-
Did Not Batting : Romario Shepherd , Bhuvneshwar Kumar , Josh Hazlewood , Rasikh Dar Salam
-
Fall of wickets :26 - 1 ( Jacob Bethell , 2.6 ov ) ,141 - 2 ( Devdutt Padikkal , 12.5 ov ) ,154 - 3 ( Virat Kohli , 13.4 ov ) ,171 - 4 ( Jitesh Sharma , 14.6 ov ) ,173 - 5 ( Rajat Patidar , 15.3 ov )
| Bowling | O | R | W | ECO | Dots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohammed Siraj | 3 | 25 | 1 | 8.33 | 9 |
| Kagiso Rabada | 4 | 45 | 0 | 11.25 | 7 |
| Jason Holder | 3.5 | 35 | 1 | 9.13 | 8 |
| Prasidh Krishna | 2 | 31 | 0 | 15.50 | 1 |
| Rashid Khan | 4 | 49 | 2 | 12.25 | 7 |
| Manav Suthar | 2 | 19 | 1 | 9.50 | 4 |
-
Virat Kohli Batter -
Devdutt Padikkal Batter
-
Rajat Patidar (C) Batter
-
Tim David Batter
-
Jitesh Sharma Wicket-Keeper
-
Romario Shepherd All Rounder
-
Krunal Pandya All Rounder
-
Bhuvneshwar Kumar Bowler
-
Suyash Sharma Bowler
-
Josh Hazlewood Bowler
-
Rasikh Salam Bowler
-
Shubman Gill (C) Batter
-
Sai Sudharsan Batter
-
Jos Buttler Wicket-Keeper
-
Washington Sundar All Rounder
-
Jason Holder All Rounder
-
Manav Suthar All Rounder
-
Rahul Tewatia Batter
-
Shahrukh Khan Batter
-
Rashid Khan Bowler
-
Kagiso Rabada Bowler
-
Mohammed Siraj Bowler
-
Jacob Bethell Batter
-
Jordan Cox Wicket-Keeper
-
Mangesh Yadav Bowler
-
Vicky Ostwal Bowler
-
Venkatesh Iyer Batter
-
Swapnil Singh All Rounder
-
Kanishk Chouhan All Rounder
-
Vihaan Malhotra All Rounder
-
Satvik Deswal Bowler
-
Abhinandan Singh Bowler
-
Nuwan Thushara Bowler
-
Yash Dayal Bowler
-
Jacob Duffy Bowler
-
Philip Salt Wicket-Keeper
-
Tom Banton Batter
-
Prasidh Krishna Bowler
-
Glenn Phillips All Rounder
-
Anuj Rawat Wicket-Keeper
-
Nishant Sindhu All Rounder
-
Arshad Khan Bowler
-
Kumar Kushagra Wicket-Keeper
-
Connor Esterhuizen Wicket-Keeper
-
Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore Bowler
-
Gurnoor Brar Bowler
-
Kulwant Khejroliya Bowler
-
Ashok Sharma Bowler
-
Ishant Sharma Bowler
-
Jayant Yadav Bowler
-
Luke Wood Bowler
Commentary
South Africa legend Dale Steyn has showered lavish praise on his former RCB teammate Virat Kohli. Steyn said that the former India and RCB skipper was the best player ever in run-chases. Steyn's comments came after Kohli guided his team to victory over the Gujarat Titans on Friday.
Chasing 206 for victory, Kohli was dropped by former teammate Washington Sundar while on 0. He made full use of the opportunity and smashed 81 runs in 44 balls to take RCB home and win the Player of the Match award. Kohli also became the Orange Cap holder as at the end of Match 34, he had more runs than any other batter in IPL 2026.
He's worked out a road to get to the final runs- Dale Steyn
While speaking to ESPNCricinfo, Steyn praised Kohli's ability to identify the situation and adapt his game to the needs of it.
"He's always looking to try and get better. He's what we talk about. He plays what's in front of him. He reads the situation. Probably one of the best players that I've ever known that reads the situation and calculates how the game needs to be panned out from the first ball that he's faced. He's kind of worked out a road to get to the final runs. He's the best chaser to have ever played the game," Steyn said.
Virat Kohli in run chases
Kohli has always been known as the chase master, and the numbers support this assertion. He has made 2,651 runs in successful chases in the IPL. The highest in the league, Kohli has also made 22 scores of 50 or more in this category. The highest by any batter. He also has a penchant for staying at the crease to see the run chase through.
Virat Kohli has been unbeaten 24 times in successful run chases. It isn't the most in the league, but despite being a top-order batter, the number of times he has stayed not out is comparable to esteemed finishers like Dinesh Karthik, David Miller, Ravindra Jadeja, and MS Dhoni.
He averages 61.76 in successful run-chases in the IPL. It is the third best among all players with a minimum of 1,500 runs in winning chases. Only David Warner and Chris Gayle are ahead of Virat Kohli in this aspect.
And it is not just the easy ones. In recent times, Kohli has bossed around the hard chases as well. RCB have successfully chased down a target of 185 or more 7 times in their IPL history. Virat Kohli has scored fifty or more in 6 of these matches, including 2 centuries.
Kohli is one of only three players to make 2 or more centuries while chasing in the IPL. Jos Buttler and Ben Stokes are the others.
RCB's next match
Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Virat Kohli will next be in action on Monday, April 27. The defending champions will face the Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
RCB and DC have faced off once this season already. DC won the last-over thriller in Bengaluru. Kohli and RCB will be gunning for revenge, and maybe he intends to win the Orange Cap back for himself.
Also Read: Dale Steyn makes shocking confession about deliberately hurting Devdutt Padikkal in RCB nets
About the Author
This author is a member of Cricketaddictor who writes news and analysis related to cricket.
Rashid Khan to Jitesh Sharma, Six, Six !! What a delivery! legbreak lands right on the off stump, Jitesh Sharma goes forward, exhibits impeccable timing as batter hammers and sends it flying to the long off region for a remarkable Maximum!
Rashid Khan to Jitesh Sharma, no run, Dot ball !! legbreak, good length, on the off stump, Jitesh Sharma goes forward and tucks push toward the fielder, who halts the ball.
Jitesh Sharma c M Suthar b R Khan 10 (6) Rashid Khan to Jitesh Sharma, no run, c M Suthar b R Khan, Caught out !! legbreak, good length, on the off stump, An unsuccessful attempt by Jitesh Sharma who goes forward to play it towards short cover that goes straight to Manav Suthar, who makes the catch for Jitesh Sharma's dismissal.
End of over 15 (13 runs)
Manav Suthar to Rajat Patidar, 1 run, An accurately pitched off break ball on the off stump, Rajat Patidar goes back to make a confident cut, sending the ball towards deep mid wicket for 1 run.
Manav Suthar to Tim David, 1 run, An accurately pitched off break ball on the off stump, Tim David goes back to make a confident cut, sending the ball towards deep point for 1 run.
Rajat Patidar c W Sundar b M Suthar 8 (5) Manav Suthar to Rajat Patidar, no run, c W Sundar b M Suthar, Caught out !! off break ball, full length, on the off stump, A risky shot choice by Rajat Patidar as the batter hangs in the crease to strike it towards deep mid wicket, only to get an edge that goes straight into the hands of Washington Sundar for a soft dismissal.
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, 1 run, off break ball, good length, on the stumps, goes back, plays flick shot, towards the deep square leg for 1 run.
Manav Suthar to Tim David, no run, Dot ball !! off break ball, good length, on the stumps, Tim David goes forward, tucks defensive shot toward the fielder at short cover, who halts the ball.
Manav Suthar to Tim David, 1 run, Tim David goes back and plays a well-timed cut off an off break ball delivers at a good length by the bowler, but the ball lands safely in the hands of the fielder at deep cover for 1 run.
End of over 16 (4 runs)
Kagiso Rabada to Tim David, 1 run, An accurately pitched fast ball on the off stump, Tim David goes forward to make a confident push, sending the ball towards third man for 1 run.
Kagiso Rabada to Krunal Pandya, 1 run, fast ball, back of length, on the stumps, goes back, plays cut, towards the third man for 1 run.
Kagiso Rabada to Tim David, no run, Dot ball !! fast ball, back of length, on the stumps, Tim David goes back and strives to hit pull, aiming to fend it off, but ball is too tricky to hit.
Kagiso Rabada to Tim David, no run, Dot ball !! fast ball, good length, on the off stump, goes forward, tries to play but misses to get the bat on it.
Kagiso Rabada to Tim David, 1 wide, fast ball, back of length, on the off stump, An attempted bouncer misses the mark and sails high over Tim David's head, Umpire Calls it a wide.
Kagiso Rabada to Tim David, Six, Six !! fast ball is delivered on the off stump, good length and Tim David goes forward, displays great skill by powering it to third man for a magnificent Maximum!
Kagiso Rabada to Tim David, no run, Dot ball !! fast ball, good length, on the off stump, goes forward, tries to play but misses to get the bat on it.
End of over 17 (9 runs)
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, Four, Four !! off break ball, full length, on the off stump, Short and well outside the off stump. Krunal Pandya goes forward, it to the long on, races away and finds the boundary.
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, Four, Four !! off break ball, full length, on the off stump. Krunal Pandya goes forward, hits sweep in the gap towards deep mid wicket, and ball finds the ropes in a flash for four.
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, no run, Dot ball !! off break ball, full length, on the off stump, Krunal Pandya hangs in the crease, tucks cut toward the fielder at short cover, who halts the ball.
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, no run, Dot ball !! off break ball, yorker, on the leg stump, Krunal Pandya goes forward and dabs defensive shot, but the fielder reacts promptly and blocks it right away.
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, Six, Six !! With a brilliant off break ball on the off stump, Krunal Pandya goes forward and showcases power-hitting prowess as batter unleashes a spectacular sloge sweep to long on for a colossal Maximum!
Manav Suthar to Krunal Pandya, 1 run, Krunal Pandya goes back and plays a well-timed flick shot off an off break ball delivers at a yorker by the bowler, but the ball lands safely in the hands of the fielder at short mid wicket for 1 run.
End of over 18 (15 runs)
Jason Holder to Krunal Pandya, no run, Dot Ball !! fast ball, back of length, on the off stump, and Krunal Pandya hangs on and tries to hit cut, but misses it completely as ball beats the bat, goes to the keeper.
Jason Holder to Krunal Pandya, 1 run, An accurately pitched fast ball on the stumps, Krunal Pandya goes back to make a confident pull, sending the ball towards deep mid wicket for 1 run.
Jason Holder to Tim David, 1 run, fast ball, full length, on the off stump, Tim David goes forward and chunks it towards the deep mid wicket for 1 run.
Jason Holder to Krunal Pandya, Four, Four !! fast ball, back of length, on the stumps, Krunal Pandya goes back and caresses pull to deep mid wicket, it raced away to the fence for four.
Jason Holder to Krunal Pandya, 1 run, fast ball, back of length, on the leg stump, goes back, plays pull, towards the deep fine leg for 1 run.