Tag: RCB

AHMEDABAD: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) batter Tim David has been handed a one-match suspension for the start of the next Indian Premier League (IPL) season after breaching the tournament’s Code of Conduct during the final of the 2026 edition.

The disciplinary action stems from an incident that occurred during RCB’s title-winning clash against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

According to an IPL media release, the Australian batter reacted angrily to an umpiring decision during the 10th over of Gujarat Titans’ innings.

The incident involved a catch attempt by Jordan Cox off the bowling of Washington Sundar, which was ultimately ruled not out.

Frustrated by the decision, David threw an ice bag in the direction of on-field umpire Nitin Menon, an act that resulted in a breach of Article 2.9 of the IPL Code of Conduct.

The article relates to throwing a ball or any other item of cricket equipment at or near a player, official, umpire, match referee or any third person in an inappropriate or dangerous manner during a match.

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David admitted the offence and accepted the sanction imposed by match referee Javagal Srinath. The offence carried additional significance because it marked David’s third disciplinary breach of the season.

As a result, his accumulated demerit points reached five, automatically triggering a one-match suspension under the IPL’s disciplinary regulations.

The punishment means the hard-hitting batter will miss Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s opening fixture of the IPL 2027 season.

Despite the controversy, RCB ended their campaign on a historic note by defeating the Gujarat Titans by five wickets in the final to successfully defend their crown.

The triumph made Royal Challengers Bengaluru only the third franchise in IPL history to win back-to-back titles, joining Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians in the exclusive club.

READ: Nawaz among Pakistan players picked at LPL 2026 draft

Virat Kohli and Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) will be eyeing their second straight IPL title against an upbeat Gujarat Titans in the final at the 130,000-capacity Ahmedabad stadium on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Kohli has been central to Bengaluru’s efforts since their first title in the T20 tournament last year.

Batting great Kohli will be back at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the world’s biggest cricket ground and the venue of Bengaluru’s triumph in 2025.

Bengaluru topped the 10-team table at the end of the league stage and beat Gujarat in the first play-off to secure direct entry into the final.

However, Gujarat bounced back from their defeat in style as they hammered Rajasthan Royals in the last play-off to qualify for their third final in five years, winning the title in 2022.

“In the IPL and actually in any form of cricket, you have to remain reasonably level regardless of the result,” Gujarat’s director of cricket Vikram Solanki said.

“If you come off the back of a defeat, you can’t get too low, because, more often than not, you’re preparing for the next game.”

Skipper Shubman Gill, who is also India’s Test and ODI captain, hit 104 in New Chandigarh on Friday. The 26-year-old has scored 722 runs, putting him second in the batting chart behind Rajasthan’s 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on 776.

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Gill’s opening partner, Sai Sudharsan, is third with 710 runs. The pair have laid the foundation of Gujarat’s success.

“I can only imagine all of the work that Shubman has put in throughout his career to get to where he is, as far as batting is concerned,” said former England batter Solanki.

“He’s an exceptional young man. To be playing the cricket that he is, to be batting the way he is, is just phenomenal.”

Virat Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, has scored 600 runs this season, including one century and four half-centuries, at an average of 50.00 in 15 matches.

Bengaluru’s director of cricket, Mo Bobat, said: “Everybody understands what Virat Kohli brings, his intensity, his fight, his hunger”.

“Experience counts for a lot in pressure games, but I think it also speaks volumes for their personalities and character,” Bobat said.

Bengaluru skipper Rajat Patidar stepped up his game in the first qualifier, hammering an unbeaten 93 off 33 balls. His knock, after Kohli’s attacking 43, paved the way for Bengaluru’s mammoth total of 254 in a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat.

“Any team whose captain is playing well gets greater confidence from that,” said Bobat.

“We’re becoming accustomed to seeing these sorts of knocks from him now. He played some outrageous shots, but also really the aggressive intent… that’s leading by example.”

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Rajat Patidar led from the front with an unbeaten 93 to help defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) storm into the IPL 2026 final with a 92-run thrashing of Gujarat Titans on Tuesday.

Captain Patidar’s 33-ball knock steered Bengaluru to 254-5 and then their bowlers combined to bowl out Gujarat for 162 in 19.3 overs in the first qualifier in Dharamsala.

Gujarat will have another shot at making the final when they go into Friday’s second qulifier in Chandigarh where they will face the winner of the eliminator between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals.

The final takes place in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

Star batter Virat Kohli hit 43 to lay the foundation for Bengaluru’s mammoth total — the highest ever in an IPL play-off — after being invited to bat first.

The 37-year-old Kohli, who has stepped away from Test cricket and T20 internationals, is chasing a second straight IPL title with Bengaluru after waiting 18 seasons to lift his first in 2025.

Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, who made 30, put on 72 for the second wicket before Jason Holder hit back for Gujarat with two wickets in three balls.

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Holder got Virat Kohli to drag the ball back onto his stumps and then had the left-handed Padikkal caught behind by wicketkeeper Jos Buttler.

But Bengaluru quickly rebuilt the innings with Patidar and Krunal Pandya putting together a counter-attacking stand of 95 off 47 balls.

Both Patidar and left-handed Pandya hit a flurry of fours and sixes, including in a 28-run 15th over, as Gujarat faltered with dropped catches and sloppy ground fielding.

Kagiso Rabada dropped Patidar on 20 and a few fielding blunders let Bengaluru race away before Pandya top-edged Rabada to deep midwicket.

Patidar kept up the charge as he reached his fifty off 21 balls with a six off Rabada.

Patidar lost another partner in Tim David, bowled by Prasidh Krishna for four, but finished with a flourish alongside Jitesh Sharma who hit 15 off five balls.

In reply, 2022 champions Gujarat were never in the chase after being reduced to 51-5 inside six overs.

Gujarat started briskly with in-form opener Sai Sudharsan starting with two successive fours off New Zealand quick Jacob Duffy.

But the bowler had his revenge in a lucky manner in the next over when Sudharsan was out hit wicket, the bat slipping out of his hand and hitting the stumps as he played a sparkling cut to the cover boundary.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled skipper Shubman Gill for two and Josh Hazlewood rattled the stumps of Buttler, who departed for 29.

Wickets kept tumbling as pace bowler Rasikh Salam struck twice in one over and the writing was on the wall.

Impact substitute Rahul Tewatia made 68 to save Gujarat the blushes after they slumped to 88-8 in 11.2 overs.

READ: WATCH: Sai Sudharsan bowled after bizarre bat incident in IPL 2026

A powerhouse batting display, headlined by three frenetic half-centuries, set up Sunrisers Hyderabad comprehensive 55-run victory over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the IPL 2026 on Friday, though it wasn’t enough to secure them a top-two finish as both teams completed their league engagements on 18 points apiece.

Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Heinrich Klaasen extended their consistent run on a terrific batting surface at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, muscling the home side to 255-4 after Pat Cummins chose to bat.

Defending champions Bengaluru needed to score at least 166 to ensure that they finished ahead of Hyderabad on net run rate even in the event of defeat, and they got the job done with clinical efficiency, finishing on 200-4.

Despite the defeat, Bengaluru (0.783) ended up table-toppers, ahead of Gujarat Titans (0.695), who also amassed 18 points, with Hyderabad occupying the third spot.

Bengaluru seemed determined to have a go at the massive target through their new opening combination of Venkatesh Iyer and Virat Kohli, who added 60 in just 27 deliveries.

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After both fell in the space of 14 runs, Devdutt Padikkal kept up the momentum but when the left-hander was caught in the deep off the excellent Eshan Malinga, Bengaluru retrained their focus on achieving their primary objective of 166.

Where Hyderabad’s bowlers used pace off the ball to great effect, Bengaluru had been punished earlier in the evening for being unidimensional, Travis Head and Abhishek setting the tone through their 45-run first-wicket stand.

Hyderabad, the 2016 champions, made sure wickets didn’t fall in clusters, stringing together successive subsequent alliances of 52, a blazing 113 off just 48 balls for the third wicket between Kishan and Klaasen, and 45 respectively to put on an exhibition for their home supporters in the last game of the season at this venue.

Abhishek’s first fifty in six innings was the base from which Kishan and Klaasen cut loose.

Diminutive left-hander Kishan packed quite a punch while Klaasen, who was on five off nine deliveries at one stage, rediscovered his boundary-hitting touch with three sixes and a four off a Josh Hazlewood over that went for 27.

While Kishan brought up his fourth consecutive half-century against Bengaluru before being dismissed off the last ball of the innings, Klaasen’s sixth score of more than 50 took him past the 600-run mark for the season on a run-soaked night of high-class entertainment.

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Former Pakistan pacer Mohammad Amir on Wednesday became eligible to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after obtaining a British passport.

The news was shared through his Instagram handle, revealing that the fast bowler had received his British passport.

“A new journey begins for Mohammad Amir, who officially became a British citizen today and received his passport. Wishing him more success and happiness around,” the story caption read.

With this development, Amir is now eligible to play in the IPL 2027.

Previously, Amir has expressed his desire to feature in the marquee league and revealed his preference for the IPL over the Pakistan Super League (PSL).

“Honestly, if I get the chance, I will definitely play in the IPL. I’m saying this openly. But if I don’t get a chance, then I will play in the PSL,” Amir had said.

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“By next year, I will have the opportunity to play in the IPL. If given the chance, why not? I will play in the IPL,” he had reiterated.

It is important to note that Pakistani players have not participated in the Indian Premier League since 2008 due to political tensions between India and Pakistan.

Although the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has not issued any formal directive regarding the participation of Pakistani players, IPL franchises have generally chosen not to bid for them.

The former pacer had also expressed his desire to represent Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) if selected.

Notably, former Pakistan coach Azhar Mahmood remains the only Pakistan-born cricketer to have featured in the IPL while holding British citizenship.

For the unversed, Mohammad Amir decided to step away from international cricket in 2024 after representing Pakistan in 159 internationals. The 34-year-old collected 271 wickets at an average of 27.98 across formats.

READ: Former cricketers react to Pakistan’s whitewash against Bangladesh

Indian batting icon Virat Kohli has responded with humour to the viral chatter labelling him as an “overseas player” for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The light-hearted debate gained traction among fans due to Kohli’s increased time spent in London with his family in recent years, leading to jokes that RCB are effectively fielding an extra overseas player.

Despite scaling down his international commitments, having stepped away from Tests and T20Is and now featuring only in ODIs, the former India captain continues to remain a central figure for his franchise.

Addressing the speculation in a video shared by RCB, Kohli was quizzed by content creator Danish Sait, known for his popular ‘Mr. Nags’ persona.

The host referenced fan claims about RCB playing with “five overseas players,” prompting a witty response from Kohli.

“I don’t know why you’re asking me. Ask the overseas players. I am not an overseas player,” Virat Kohli said with a laugh, before playfully turning the question back, “Am I an overseas player?”

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The 37-year-old began the ongoing IPL season in commanding fashion, scoring an unbeaten 69 to guide RCB to victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in their opening fixture as defending champions.

Reflecting on last season’s long-awaited title triumph, Kohli admitted the victory brought a sense of relief after years of near misses with the franchise he has represented since the league’s inception.

“That night, I really felt what it means. Everything became light,” he said, describing the emotional weight lifted after finally securing the title.

He also offered insight into his mindset around success and failure, emphasising the importance of perseverance.

“Victory is the accumulation of hard work, all the sacrifices you’ve made, to be committed to the sport. It all comes together as a form of assurance, a reward, to know that you haven’t wasted your time,” Kohli added.

“A lot of people learn from losses, but a lot of people can get very disheartened as well. So when you win after a lot of hard work, it makes you feel a sense of justice for the work that you put in, and also gives you motivation to work harder.”

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Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has hinted at a possible return to the Indian Premier League (IPL), though in a non-playing capacity, with the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).

The 41-year-old, who retired from all forms of cricket in 2021, expressed his willingness to take up a coaching or mentoring role with his former franchise team in the future.

While ruling out a full-fledged professional comeback, de Villiers admitted that his connection with RCB remains unshakable.

“I might be involved with the IPL again in the future in a different role, but committing to a full season in a professional capacity is really tricky, and I believe those days are done,” he said.

“That said, you never say never. My heart is with RCB and always will be. So, if the franchise feels there’s a role for me, when my time is right and ready, it will definitely be RCB.”

Having represented the franchise for over a decade, AB de Villiers remains one of the most celebrated figures in IPL history.

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He began his IPL journey with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2008 before moving to RCB in 2011, where he went on to play 157 matches.

He scored 4,522 runs at an average of 41.10 and an explosive strike rate of 158.33, including two centuries and 37 half-centuries.

One of his most memorable campaigns came in 2016 when he smashed 687 runs and combined with Virat Kohli for a record 229-run stand against Gujarat Lions, still the highest-ever partnership for the second wicket in IPL history.

Overall, de Villiers featured in 184 IPL matches across two franchises, scoring 5,162 runs at a strike rate of 151.68 with three centuries and 40 fifties.

In recognition of his impact, RCB inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 2022 alongside Chris Gayle.

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Star batter Virat Kohli said he was lost for words after celebrations of a dream IPL title of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) turned to tragedy when 11 mainly young cricket fans were crushed to death in their home city.

Hundreds of thousands had packed the streets in Bengaluru on Wednesday to welcome home their hero Kohli and the RCB team after they had beaten Punjab Kings (PBKS) a day earlier in a thrilling Indian Premier League (IPL) final.

But the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it “absolutely heartrending”.

Karnataka state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the 11 dead were young people, and there were 47 others injured in the crush after a stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where the players were parading the trophy for fans.

Kohli, who top-scored in the final, said earlier it had been “as much for the fans” after the 36-year-old finally celebrated winning the IPL at his 18th attempt.

Later, Virat Kohli wrote on social media: “At a loss for words.

“Absolutely gutted,” he added, alongside a statement from the RCB team saying they were “deeply anguished” at what had unfolded.

One of the people injured described to AFP how a “huge crowd” had crushed her.

“They stamped on me,” said the woman, who did not give her name, from a wheelchair. “I was not able to breathe. I fell unconscious.”

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Most of the dead were young fans who had gone out just to catch a glimpse of their sporting heroes.

Street food vendor Manoj Kumar mourned the death of his 18-year-old son, killed in the stampede, who he said he had stopped from working on his stall so he could study.

“I wanted him to go to college,” Kumar told the Indian Express newspaper. “I brought him up with a lot of care. Now, he is gone.”

A grieving mother outside a city mortuary said her 22-year-old engineering student son had also died in the crush.

“He was crazy about RCB,” she was quoted as saying by the Indian Express on Thursday. “He died in an RCB shirt. They danced when RCB won, and now he is gone. Can RCB give him back to us?”

Authorities had already called off RCB’s proposed open-top bus victory parade through the streets after anticipating vast crowds. But organisers pressed ahead with the welcome ceremony and celebrations inside the stadium.

RCB’s social media account posted a video of cheering crowds lining the streets as the players waved back from their team bus on their way to the stadium.

The team said they cut short the celebrations “immediately upon being made aware of the situation”.

Siddaramaiah said that the stadium had a capacity of “only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came”.

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AHMEDABAD: Star batter Virat Kohli couldn’t hold back tears as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally ended their 18-year-long title drought, clinching their first-ever IPL trophy with a tense six-run win over Punjab Kings.

RCB were put into bat and posted 190/9, with Kohli top-scoring with a 35-ball 43, a knock that drew some criticism for its tempo, but proved crucial in the end.

The innings also featured some fireworks from the lower order, helping RCB post a competitive total.

Punjab Kings made a solid start in the chase, but the tide turned during the middle overs, thanks to Krunal Pandya’s miserly spell of 2/17.

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The pressure mounted steadily, and though the Kings fought till the end, the target eventually proved out of reach.

With 29 runs required off the last four balls, the result was all but sealed. And for Virat Kohli, who had carried the burden of expectation for so many years, the moment broke him.

As the final ball of IPL 2025 was launched for a consolation six, Kohli collapsed to the ground, overcome with emotion.

Teammates rushed in to celebrate, but for him, it was the release of years of heartbreak, loyalty, and unwavering belief in the franchise.

“I’ve given this team my youth, prime and experience,” said a visibly emotional Kohli after the match.

“I’ve tried to win it every season, and gave it everything I have. To finally have it is an unbelievable feeling. I was overcome with emotion after the last ball. Gave each and every ounce of my energy, and it’s an amazing feeling.”

Having featured in three IPL finals previously without success, this win marked the end of a long, painful wait, both for Kohli and the RCB fans.

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Indian batting maestro Virat Kohli etched his name in the record books once again, becoming the first Asian and overall second cricketer to score 100 half-centuries in T20 cricket.

The right-hander batter reached the milestone in his 405th T20, scoring 62* off 45 balls, leading his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Royal Challengers Benglaluru to a comfortable victory against Rajistan Royals.

Virat Kohli reached the milestone in style with a six off Wanindu Hasaranga to complete his third fifty of the season in 39 balls while chasing 174.

The other batter with more half-centuries than Virat Kohli is David Warner, topping the list with 108 fifties in 400 matches.

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Most Half-Centuries in T20 Career:

• David Warner – 108 fifties (400 matches)
• Virat Kohli – 100 fifties (405 matches)
• Babar Azam – 90 fifties (311 matches)
• Chris Gayle – 88 fifties (463 matches)
• Jos Buttler – 86 fifties (440 matches)

Earlier this week, Virat Kohli became the first Indian batter to score over 13,000 runs in T20 cricket during a match against the Mumbai Indians in the IPL.

With this remarkable achievement, the former captain of India joined an elite group, becoming the fifth player overall to reach this milestone, following Chris Gayle, Alex Hales, Shoaib Malik, and Kieron Pollard.

It is pertinent to mention that the 36-year-old has represented the Indian team in 125 T20Is, amassing 4188 runs with a staggering average of 48.69.

The run-machine scored 38 fifties and one century in his T20I career before retiring after the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup triumph in 2024.

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