Sunil Gavaskar praises Virat Kohli after RCB win, says "drop him and he will make you pay"

Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar praised Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ace batter Virat Kohli's match-winning knock against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, saying a dropped catch early in the innings proved costly as King Kohli once again showcased his chasing mastery.

Speaking on Star Sports, JioStar expert Gavaskar analysed the turning point in RCB's successful run chase against Gujarat Titans, highlighting a crucial dropped catch of Virat Kohli early in the innings.

"That dropped catch of Virat Kohli off Siraj's bowling definitely cost Gujarat Titans a lot," Gavaskar said.

He further underlined Kohli's reputation as one of the finest chase batters in modern cricket. "We all know he is not just known as a king. He is known as a chase master as well," Gavaskar remarked.

Gavaskar said the early reprieve proved decisive. "You drop him on the first ball, then he will definitely make you pay. That is exactly what he did," he noted.

He added that Kohli's ability to chase down big totals has been a defining feature of his career. "Chasing down huge totals with ease has been Virat's trademark batting style throughout his career," Gavaskar said.

The former India skipper also suggested that GT may be left ruing the missed chance, especially given the conditions. "At one point... the ball was gripping a bit. It would not have been that easy once the ball got a little older," he observed.

Concluding his analysis, Gavaskar lauded Kohli's class and consistency under pressure. "This man is one of the greatest in the game. He made it look easy," he said.

Gavaskar also praised Devdutt Padikkal's batting improvement in IPL 2026, highlighting his expanded scoring range and its impact on Bengaluru's top-order strength.

"Devdutt Padikkal played an excellent innings. Virat Kohli rightly pointed out after the match that Padikkal has been hitting some very clean cricketing shots. Earlier, he was seen as an offside player. His main scoring areas were cover and mid-off. He used to struggle on the on-side. But now he has overcome that limitation."

Gavaskar added, "He is hitting sixes and boundaries behind square as well. This adds to RCB's batting strength. They have Devdutt at number three and Captain Rajat Patidar at number four. Both can hit sixes from the first ball. That is making a big difference for RCB right now."

Chasing 206, RCB received an early jitter as GT pacer Mohammed Siraj got rid of RCB opener Jacob Bethell early, reducing RCB to 26/1 in 3 overs. However, the rest of RCB's top order rose to the occasion. Virat Kohli, scoring a 44-ball 81, set the tone with a classic half-century, while Devdutt Padikkal (55 off 27 balls) provided excellent support.

The duo kept the scoreboard ticking, ensuring the required rate never spiralled out of control. Together, they combined for a 115-run stand in just 59 balls. After losing Kohli and Padikkal in quick succession, the game tightened in the middle overs when Rashid Khan and Manav Suthar picked up key wickets, leaving RCB at 175/5 after 16 overs.

RCB stumbled in their chase as they lost Rajat Patidar (8) and Jitesh Sharma (10). With 31 runs needed off the final four overs, the pressure was on, but Krunal Pandya (unbeaten 23 runs off 12 balls) emerged as the hero for the home side. Krunal took the attack to the GT bowlers. He took 15 runs off the 18th over, effectively breaking the back of the chase while Tim David contributed with an unbeaten nine-ball 10-run knock.

In the 19th over, Krunal finished things, pulling a short ball from Jason Holder to the deep square leg region for a single to seal the win as RCB reached 206/5 in 18.5 overs, securing two vital points and moving up to the second spot in the IPL 2026 points table. RCB now have 10 points in seven matches with five wins and two losses.