Dropped Kohli in a chase cost us: KKR coach Nayar after RCB's 6-wicket win
Synopsis
KKR dropped Virat Kohli on 21 during RCB's chase in Raipur — and paid the full price. Kohli went on to an unbeaten 105, his ninth IPL century, as RCB won by six wickets to go top of the table. Coach Abhishek Nayar admitted the drop, a missing Varun Chakravarthy, and one other dropped catch together decided the game.
Key Takeaways
Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 105 — his ninth IPL century — to guide RCB to a six-wicket win over KKR in Raipur on 14 May .
KKR dropped Kohli when he was on 21 ; coach Abhishek Nayar called it the turning point of the match.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored 71 and Rinku Singh provided a strong finish as KKR posted 192/4 .
Mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy missed the game with a niggle — reportedly his second fracture of the season.
The victory pushed RCB to the top of the IPL 2025 points table.
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) head coach Abhishek Nayar conceded that dropping Virat Kohli early in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's chase was the decisive moment in RCB's commanding six-wicket victory over KKR at Raipur on 14 May. The win lifted RCB to the top of the IPL points table.
Kohli's Match-Winning Century
Virat Kohli, coming off consecutive ducks, looked in supreme touch from the first ball. He was dropped by KKR fielders when he had scored just 21 — a moment that proved catastrophic for the Kolkata side. Kohli went on to score an unbeaten 105, his ninth IPL century, guiding RCB over the 192-run target with authority.
'When you drop Virat Kohli, especially in a chase, it becomes very difficult,' Nayar said at the post-match press conference. 'There are a lot of things that could have been better. Virat's catch was a very tough one. The Angkrish catch, you would expect him to take,' he added.
The Varun Chakravarthy Absence
Nayar also pointed to the absence of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy, who missed the match due to a niggle, as a significant factor. Chakravarthy is reportedly nursing his second fracture of the season, leaving a conspicuous gap in KKR's middle-overs attack.
'The Varun Chakravarthy part — we have done really well with the Sunny (Narine) and Varun combo. It is unfortunate that we have missed him a lot this season. It is the second time around where he has got a fracture, which is unfortunate for him, but you will always miss a Varun Chakravarthy. We know the quality of Sunny and Varun bowling together, so it's hard to replace a Varun,' Nayar said.
KKR's Batting Effort
Angkrish Raghuvanshi's steady 71 anchored KKR's innings, with Rinku Singh providing his trademark finishing brilliance to help the side post 192/4. Nayar felt the total was competitive, noting that the team had targeted 180–200 as a par score on a pitch that offered early swing and seam following rain.
'The pitch was good through and through. Anytime there is a bit of rain, the first few overs, you expect the ball to swing and seam a bit, which happened, but I still felt we got enough runs on the board,' he said.
What This Means for Both Sides
The defeat leaves KKR in a precarious position in the standings as the IPL 2025 playoff race tightens. For RCB, the win — built on Kohli's mastery in run chases — underlines why the veteran batter remains their most critical asset. Notably, this is Kohli's ninth IPL century, cementing his status as the format's premier chase specialist. With Chakravarthy's fitness uncertain, KKR's bowling depth will continue to be tested in the matches ahead.
Point of View
But the structural problem for KKR runs deeper than one dropped catch. Building a bowling attack so dependent on a single spinner — Varun Chakravarthy — that his absence is match-altering twice in one season is a squad-planning failure, not a stroke of bad luck. Meanwhile, the decision to field against Kohli in a chase without their primary wicket-taker speaks to a risk-management gap that no post-match press conference can paper over. RCB, by contrast, have built a chase template around one player — and it keeps delivering.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the RCB vs KKR IPL 2025 match in Raipur?
Royal Challengers Bengaluru defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in Raipur on 14 May 2025. Virat Kohli's unbeaten 105 guided RCB past KKR's total of 192/4, with Angkrish Raghuvanshi's 71 having anchored the KKR innings.
Why did KKR lose to RCB in Raipur?
KKR coach Abhishek Nayar cited three key factors: dropping Virat Kohli when he was on 21, a missed catch off Angkrish Raghuvanshi, and the absence of mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy due to injury. Kohli went on to score an unbeaten 105 after being dropped.
How many IPL centuries has Virat Kohli scored?
Virat Kohli's unbeaten 105 against KKR in Raipur on 14 May 2025 was his ninth IPL century, further cementing his reputation as the format's premier chase specialist.
Why was Varun Chakravarthy missing from the KKR vs RCB match?
Varun Chakravarthy sat out the Raipur match due to a niggle, reportedly his second fracture of the IPL 2025 season. Coach Abhishek Nayar acknowledged that the spinner's absence left a significant gap in KKR's bowling attack, particularly in the middle overs.
Where does RCB stand on the IPL 2025 points table after the Raipur win?
The six-wicket victory over KKR moved Royal Challengers Bengaluru to the top of the IPL 2025 points table, underlining their strong run of form heading into the business end of the tournament.
