RCB vs LSG IPL 2026: Royal Challengers Bengaluru kept their momentum going in IPL 2026, with Rajat Patidar’s side clinching their fourth win of the season. The match was held on 15 April at the legendary M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, a place that has always been a fortress for the RCB faithful. They chased down 147 with 29 balls left to win by five wickets, a dominant result that pushed RCB to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
Virat Kohli took on a new challenge, coming in as an impact player for the first time in his IPL career, but he looked right at home. He played a 34-ball 49, hitting six fours and a six at a strike rate of 144.11 to make the chase look easy.
Kohli’s 49 made him the top scorer on a pitch where batting was trickier than the scoreboard suggested. Even with a heavily strapped knee, Virat Kohli stayed composed and made the job look like business as usual.
The moment that captured the internet’s attention in the RCB vs LSG IPL 2026 game
As soon as the winning runs were hit and the Chinnaswamy crowd went wild, a scene in the middle of the pitch went viral. During the post-match handshakes, LSG’s young left-arm quick Naman Tiwari walked up to Kohli and touched his feet, the traditional Indian charan sparsh showing immense respect for an elder. Virat Kohli didn’t let him stay there for long, immediately pulling the youngster up for a warm hug.
This is what Virat Kohli has truly earned
Look at the way he's moving back, how can someone call him as arrogant? pic.twitter.com/bnY3RyG8GK— Vitamin K(ohli) (@TheeDefender) April 16, 2026
Tiwari has mentioned before that Kohli is his idol and dream wicket, and while he wants to be known for his bowling rather than being a fanboy, he couldn’t help showing his admiration for the man he grew up watching. The video blew up on social media, with fans calling it a touching reminder of Virat Kohli’s massive influence on the next generation of Indian cricketers.
Who is Naman Tiwari, the LSG pacer making headlines?
Born on 8 November 2005 in Lucknow, Naman Tiwari decided early on that he wanted to bowl fast. His journey hasn’t been easy. Coming from a middle-class background, Naman faced the usual pressure to focus on school, but in 2019, he made a deal with his father: he asked for three years to give cricket his all, promising to go back to his studies if things didn’t work out.
That deal pushed him to the next level. Now 20, the left-armer consistently hits 145kph and was the standout pacer for India during their run to the 2024 Under-19 World Cup final, taking 12 wickets. He’s developed a deadly combination of yorkers and slower balls, thanks to some early help from Lasith Malinga and further coaching from Jasprit Bumrah at the NCA. After spending two seasons as a net bowler learning from Zaheer Khan, LSG finally picked him up for INR 1 crore at the IPL 2026 auction. Wisden
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Virat Kohli’s IPL 2026 numbers tell their own story
Despite the injury concerns and the new experience of being an impact sub, Kohli is having a massive season. He’s already racked up 228 runs in five games, averaging 57.00 with a strike rate of 158.33. His tally of 25 fours and eight sixes has earned him the Orange Cap, moving him past Heinrich Klaasen’s 224 runs. It’s not just the total runs that are impressive, but how he controls the game, pacing his innings perfectly and punishing any loose balls the moment the bowlers slip up.
In the RCB vs LSG IPL 2026 game, even with his knee taped up, Virat Kohli’s 49 off 34 balls kept the chase under total control. He set the tone by hitting Mohammed Shami for three straight boundaries in the opening over, eventually taking 17 off the over to show he’s still the master of the chase. At 37, playing through pain and in a role he’s never tried before, Kohli is still leading the tournament’s scoring charts. That kind of longevity is exactly why a 20-year-old from Lucknow felt the need to bow to him.
