Virat Kohli silenced all doubts surrounding his recent form with a commanding unbeaten century as Royal Challengers Bengaluru chased down Kolkata Knight Riders’ challenging target of 193 with five balls to spare at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday.

Coming into the contest after consecutive ducks in his previous two outings, Kohli responded in emphatic fashion. A stylish flick past mid-on off just his second delivery immediately signalled a return to rhythm, and from there the veteran batter never looked back. His composed yet aggressive unbeaten 105 anchored RCB’s successful chase and guided the side to its eighth win of the season.

RCB’s innings began positively despite losing Jacob Bethell early. The young batter was caught and bowled after top-edging a pull shot into his helmet, but Kohli quickly took control of the innings. His fluency at the crease also lifted Devdutt Padikkal, who started confidently with two consecutive boundaries.

Kolkata’s fielding errors proved costly during the crucial partnership. Rovman Powell dropped Kohli after a fierce drive through cover burst through his hands, while Vaibhav Arora missed a straightforward chance at deep square to dismiss Padikkal. The missed opportunities allowed the pair to build momentum and add 92 runs for the second wicket.

Padikkal eventually departed after slicing a shot straight to captain Ajinkya Rahane at cover, but the breakthrough failed to slow Kohli down. The former India captain shifted gears in the latter stages of the chase, finding boundaries regularly and bringing up his ninth IPL century in style as RCB comfortably crossed the finish line.

Earlier, KKR posted 192 after being asked to bat first on a pitch that had spent considerable time under covers. Openers Ajinkya Rahane and Finn Allen provided a brisk start before both fell in quick succession. Bhuvneshwar Kumar dismissed Allen with a length delivery that cramped the batter for room and produced an edge behind, while Josh Hazlewood removed Rahane with a sharp bouncer.

Angkrish Raghuvanshi then steadied the innings with another impressive contribution. The youngster looked composed throughout his knock and reached his fourth half-century of the season in just 32 deliveries. Cameron Green supported him during a productive partnership, particularly against spinner Krunal Pandya, as the duo cleared the ropes with ease.

Although Green was later bowled by Rasikh Dar, Raghuvanshi continued to score freely alongside Rinku Singh, whose aggressive cameo helped KKR post a competitive total. However, Kohli’s masterclass ultimately proved too much for the Knight Riders as RCB completed another successful chase in dominant fashion.