Kamal Ghorui
Virat Kohli made a massive leap in the IPL 2026 Orange Cap race following his sensational century against Kolkata Knight Riders on Wednesday night. Heading into the clash, Kohli had slipped to 10th position in the standings after registering back-to-back ducks. However, the RCB superstar responded in trademark fashion with a stunning unbeaten 105 off 60 deliveries, guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a successful chase of 193 in Raipur and propelling the side to the top of the IPL 2026 points table. The century also helped Kohli surge from 10th to 3rd place in the Orange Cap leaderboard, putting him firmly back in contention among the tournament’s leading run-scorers.
IPL 2026 Orange Cap Standings
| Position | Player | Team | Matches | Runs | Strike Rate | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heinrich Klaasen | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 12 | 501 | 153.93 | 50.80 |
| 2 | Sai Sudharsan | Gujarat Titans | 12 | 501 | 155.10 | 41.75 |
| 3 | Virat Kohli | Royal Challengers Bengaluru | 12 | 484 | 165.75 | 53.78 |
| 4 | Abhishek Sharma | Sunrisers Hyderabad | 12 | 481 | 209.13 | 43.73 |
| 5 | KL Rahul | Delhi Capitals | 12 | 477 | 177.98 | 43.36 |
Kohli’s unbeaten 105 once again came in his favourite scenario, a run chase. Chasing a daunting target of 193, the RCB opener anchored the innings brilliantly while maintaining aggressive intent throughout, eventually finishing the match with five balls to spare.The innings also turned into another historic night for Kohli. During the knock, he became the fastest batter in cricket history to complete 14,000 T20 runs, reaching the milestone in just 409 innings. It was also Kohli’s ninth IPL century, further extending his record for the most hundreds in tournament history and reinforcing his status as one of the greatest T20 batters of all time.Despite the avalanche of milestones, Kohli remained calm and grounded while speaking about the achievements after the match.“Well, I just love batting, even after all this. That’s my core feeling,” Kohli said. “What an honour it is to still play at this level and compete against the very best in the world. Cricket is something I truly love. I give my heart and soul every time I step onto the field because one day it will all end, and I want to make the most of every moment,” Kohli said during post match presentation.He further added that pressure situations continue to motivate him rather than intimidate him.“I enjoy challenging myself in difficult situations. I look forward to moments where there’s pressure and heat because that’s when you test yourself and say, just go for it,” Kohli added.
