Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) registered a commanding five-wicket victory over the Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2026 Match 34 at the iconic M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Friday, April 24, with Virat Kohli scoring a masterful 81 off 44 balls and Devdutt Padikkal blazing 55 off 27 balls to chase down GT's total of 205/3 in just 18.5 overs. The win featured multiple historic milestones, cementing the contest as one of the most landmark-laden matches of the season.

Kohli & Padikkal Set the Chase Alight

RCB's pursuit began on a fortunate note when Kohli attempted his trademark flick off Mohammed Siraj, only to see the ball skied and dropped by Washington Sundar at short midwicket. The reprieve proved enormously costly for GT. Kohli quickly settled into his groove, methodically building his innings while keeping the required run rate in check.

Meanwhile, Impact Player Jacob Bethell had a brief cameo before edging one to backward point off Kagiso Rabada and departing cheaply. Padikkal, however, wasted no time asserting himself, taking on Rabada's thunderbolt pace — clocked at a searing 153.6 kph — by launching a six over deep square leg.

Padikkal then turned his attention to Siraj, punishing him with boundaries and a lofted six over extra cover. Kohli joined the aggression, stepping down the track against Rabada to stroke his 800th IPL boundary, becoming the first batter in IPL history to reach this milestone — a testament to his extraordinary longevity and consistency in the tournament.

Milestone Moments: Kohli's 300th Six & Padikkal's Blistering Fifty

The middle overs belonged almost entirely to Padikkal, who dismantled Prasidh Krishna with a relentless barrage of boundaries and sixes — a flick, a pull, and a loft over long-off among the highlights. He then targeted Rashid Khan, launching him for six over long-off before sweeping for another maximum, bringing up a scintillating half-century off just 30 balls. At his peak, he had raced to 50 off a mere 20 deliveries.

Not to be outdone, Kohli etched his name further into the record books by pulling Rashid for his 300th IPL six, joining an elite club behind only Rohit Sharma and Chris Gayle in this exclusive milestone. He then attacked Rabada with a flick for four and a towering six over deep midwicket, ensuring the required rate remained well within RCB's reach.

Padikkal's dazzling innings ended on 55 off 27 balls when Rashid deceived him with a well-disguised googly that clipped the bails. Kohli pressed on regardless, launching Jason Holder for back-to-back sixes — one a powerful flick over deep midwicket, the other a loft over mid-off — before eventually falling for 81 off 44 balls, chopping a slower delivery from Holder onto his stumps.

Krunal Pandya Seals the Deal Under Pressure

With RCB briefly wobbling after losing Rajat Patidar — deceived by left-arm spinner Manav Suthar into a miscue to extra cover — and Jitesh Sharma caught in the covers off Rashid, the chase momentarily teetered. The equation demanded composure and firepower in equal measure.

Krunal Pandya stepped up decisively. In the 18th over, he hammered back-to-back boundaries and then a massive six over deep midwicket off Suthar, igniting a decisive counterattack. His unbeaten 23 off 12 balls, which included a stunning 17 runs in a single over, guided RCB home with seven balls to spare.

Sai Sudharsan's Century Sets GT's Competitive Total

Earlier, Gujarat Titans posted a formidable 205/3 in 20 overs, anchored by a brilliant century from left-hander Sai Sudharsan. He navigated a testing powerplay against the swinging deliveries of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazlewood before taking complete command. Sudharsan raced to 41 off 27 balls as GT posted 57/0 in the powerplay.

His half-century arrived in 33 balls, and he continued to dominate with creative stroke-play through the middle overs. A defining moment came when he uppercut Krunal Pandya for six and followed it with a slog sweep to bring up his 2,000th IPL run — reaching the milestone in just 47 innings, making him the fastest batter ever to this landmark, surpassing Chris Gayle, Shaun Marsh, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and KL Rahul.

Sudharsan was eventually dismissed for a magnificent 100 off 58 balls by Hazlewood. Contributions from Shubman Gill (32) and Jos Buttler, supplemented by late hitting from Holder and Washington Sundar, carried GT past the 200-run mark. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-31) and Suyash Sharma (1-36) were the pick of RCB's bowlers, while Rashid Khan (2-49) and Jason Holder (1-28) led GT's bowling effort in a losing cause.

What This Victory Means for RCB in IPL 2026

This result is significant for RCB's campaign momentum in IPL 2026. Kohli's consistent run-scoring, combined with the emergence of Padikkal as a dynamic middle-order force, signals that RCB possess the batting depth to chase down any target on their home ground. The Chinnaswamy Stadium continues to be one of the highest-scoring venues in the tournament, and RCB's batting lineup appears tailor-made for its conditions.

Notably, Kohli's twin milestones — his 800th IPL four and 300th IPL six — underline the fact that at 36, he remains not just a presence but a dominant force in franchise cricket. Sudharsan's century, meanwhile, further cements his status as one of the most exciting young batters in Indian cricket, with his rapid accumulation of IPL runs drawing inevitable comparisons to the game's all-time greats. As the IPL 2026 playoff race intensifies, both teams will look to build on their performances in the coming matches.

Brief Scores: Gujarat Titans 205/3 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 100, Shubman Gill 32; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 1-31, Suyash Sharma 1-36) lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru 206/5 in 18.5 overs (Virat Kohli 81, Devdutt Padikkal 55; Rashid Khan 2-49, Jason Holder 1-28) by five wickets.