Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru faced Gujarat Titans in the IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala, with a direct path to the final on the line.
RCB Posts Club-Highest Powerplay Score in Playoff History
With Phil Salt unavailable, Virat Kohli and Venkatesh Iyer stepped up aggressively for RCB, making light work of Gujarat’s formidable bowlers. The duo exploited Dharamsala’s high-altitude conditions, where the ball travels further due to thinner air, with Iyer launching countless boundaries over the infield while Kohli carved gaps with precise cover drives.
Rather than intimidated by Rabada’s pace, both batsmen turned the bowlers’ velocity into assets, hitting boundaries at will and disrupting Gujarat’s defensive plans. Despite losing a wicket inside the powerplay, RCB finished the mandatory six overs with an astonishing 76 runs on the board—establishing their highest-ever powerplay total in IPL knockout cricket.
Highest Powerplay Totals in IPL Knockouts/Playoffs
100/2 CSK vs PBKS, Wankhede 2014
84/1 Deccan vs DC, Centurion 2009
79/0 MI vs GT, New Chandigarh 2025
76/1 RCB vs GT, Dharamsala 2026
Kohli Reaches 600-Run Milestone
Kohli also surpassed the 600-run mark for the season, achieving the feat for the sixth time in IPL history—more than any other player. His career-high of 973 runs came in the 2016 season.
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