Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Virat Kohli’s stunning return to form against Kolkata Knight Riders did not just earn applause from fans — it also brought a heartfelt message from IPL great Dwayne Bravo.After Kohli’s unbeaten 105 powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket win in Raipur, Bravo walked into the RCB dressing room to personally congratulate the former India captain.
In a video later shared by RCB on social media, the KKR mentor was seen hugging Kohli and telling him: “Play as long as possible, the sport needs you.”Watch:The moment quickly went viral among cricket fans, many of whom praised the mutual respect shared between two of T20 cricket’s biggest names.Kohli had entered the contest under pressure after registering back-to-back ducks, but the veteran batter responded in trademark fashion. Chasing a challenging 193, he anchored the innings brilliantly with an unbeaten 105 off 60 deliveries, hitting 11 fours and three sixes. He also stitched together a crucial 92-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal, whose 39 helped steady the chase after an early wicket.The century was Kohli’s ninth in IPL history and another reminder of his unmatched consistency in run chases. His controlled approach ensured RCB reached the target with five balls remaining and climbed to the top of the IPL 2026 points table on net run rate.Earlier, KKR had posted a competitive 192/4 thanks to an impressive 71 from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and a late flourish from Rinku Singh, who remained unbeaten on 49. Cameron Green also contributed 32 during the middle overs.Despite Kartik Tyagi’s three wickets, KKR could not stop Kohli from dominating the chase.For Bravo, who has shared many IPL battles with Kohli over the years, the admiration was clear. His message summed up what many in world cricket continue to feel — players like Kohli are rare, and the game is better when they are still around.
