Virat Kohli continues to prove that class is permanent. Following his unbeaten 105 off 60 balls that guided Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a thrilling six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in Raipur, India legend Sunil Gavaskar had a special message for the 37-year-old.
Gavaskar, speaking to JioStar, declared that Kohli’s performance was a timely reminder that experience still reigns supreme, even as the spotlight shines brightly on the new generation this IPL season.
“Virat Kohli was absolutely outstanding against KKR,” Gavaskar said. “He knows how to construct a chase better than most. While everyone was talking about this being the season of ‘Gen Next’, Kohli showed he is still around. He silenced the doubters with a century and proved that the old generation is still the best.”
Kohli’s knock was pure poetry under pressure. Coming in after an early wicket, he steadied the ship with a crucial 92-run partnership alongside Devdutt Padikkal, brought up his fifty in 32 balls, and then shifted gears dramatically to reach his hundred in the 19th over. The unbeaten innings helped RCB chase down 193 with five balls to spare and propelled them back to the top of the IPL 2026 points table.
Gavaskar also highlighted a crucial moment that changed the game — a dropped catch by Rovman Powell when Kohli was still finding his feet. “You cannot drop Kohli early in his innings. He will make you pay every single time,” he warned, noting how great players punish mistakes and turn matches on their head.
The former India captain showered Kohli with more praise, pointing out his incredible records: 10 T20 centuries (third all-time), the fastest to 14,000 T20 runs, and nine IPL hundreds. “Records are there to be broken, but it will take a very long time for anyone to match what Kohli keeps delivering, game after game, season after season,” Gavaskar added.
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